Ahmad Sobhani
Ahmad Sobhani (Persian: احمد سبحانی, born 1961 in Tehran) is a retired Iranian diplomat who previously served as Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, Gabon and Armenia. He also served as a deputy foreign minister under Manouchehr Mottaki.
Career
During the Iran–Iraq War, Sobhani was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Following the war he entered Iran's diplomatic service.[1]
Between July 1992 and September 1994, Sobhani served as Iran's chargé d'affaires in Armenia.[2] He later served as Iran's ambassador to Gabon between March 1995 and July 1998.[3] During this same period he was also the accredited ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe, based in Libreville.[4]
In 1999 he returned to Iran where he served as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director for citizenship and refugees affairs until 2002.[5] Between May 2002 and September 2006, Sobhani served as Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, during which the two countries expanded their political, military and economic ties significantly. At that time he also served as the accredited ambassador to Guyana and the Dominican Republic.[6]
Between 2007 and 2010, Sobhani served as deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs, replacing Saeed Jalili.[7] Later, between 2010 and 2013, he served as the director general for West Asia affairs.[8] He has since retired from diplomatic service.
Sobhani has publicly said that diplomats must be "wealth generators" for their countries.[9] Following his retirement he has served as a member of the leadership council of Alend Investment and Development Economic Cooperation Co., a company whose aim is to increase trade between Iran and Latin American countries.[10]
Personal life
Sobhani's father was assassinated by the People's Mujahedin of Iran in 1982.[11] His brother Hassan Sobhani was killed in battle in 1984 during the Iran-Iraq War.[12]
Sobhani's son Mohammad Javad "Sasha" Sobhani, born in 1988, has attracted international media attention as a result of his social media presence, which includes pictures of him living an extravagant and non-Islamic lifestyle in Europe.[13][14][15] Sasha Sobhani's Instagram page currently has 2.1 million followers (as at April 2020).[16] In August 2018, Ahmad Sobhani told Iranian media that he had severed ties with Sasha. He said of their relationship: "He is my son, but in terms of lifestyle and beliefs, he differs from me, and all of my attempts to direct him to the right path failed."[17]
Titles, styles and honours
Foreign honours
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator (6 September 2006, Venezuela)[18]
References
- ^ "چاوز گفت: "مورالس" برادر ماست به او کمک کن/ "اوو مورالس" از ایده رژه تراکتور استقبال کرد + فیلم مستند "احمد سبحانی" سفیر ایران در ونزوئلا (۸۵-۱۳۸۰)". Navid Sobh. 16 November 2019.
- ^ Directory of Iranian Officials, Volumes 7-22. 13 June 1991.
- ^ "Gabon FM Lauds OIC's Eighth Summit in Tehran". Tehran Times. 24 January 1998.
- ^ Directory of Iranian Officials: A Reference Aid, Volumes 7-22. The Agency. 1998.
- ^ "Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme" (PDF). United Nations. 8 October 1999.
- ^ Stephen Johnson (March 2012). "Iran's Influence in the Americas" (PDF). Center for Strategic and International Studies.
- ^ "سبحانی معاون اروپا آمریکای وزارت امور خارجه شد". Fararu.com. 23 October 2007.
- ^ "Tehran names 14 new ambassadors". Tehran Times. 8 March 2010.
- ^ "دیپلمات باید تولیدکننده ثروت برای کشورش باشد". Iranian Diplomacy. 9 August 2017.
- ^ "شرکت سرمایه گذاری و توسعه همکاری‌های اقتصادی الند". Dr. Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri Abyaneh's personal website. 15 July 2015.
- ^ "MKO claims responsibility for the assassination of shopkeeper". Habilian Association. 3 March 2016.
- ^ "FORMER IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO GABON:-My Brother Missing Since Four Weeks Ago". Tehran Times. 13 December 1998.
- ^ Erin Cunningham (14 January 2019). "Crazy-rich Iranians face blowback at a time of sanctions and economic stress". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Die Kinder der Revolution leben im Luxus". Der Spiegel. 11 February 2019.
- ^ "Instagram posts by kids of Iran's political elite stir outrage". France 24. 19 September 2018.
- ^ "Sasha Sobhani". Instagram. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ "Yachts, fast cars and Instagram: Iran's rich kids enrage sanctions-hit citizens". Middle East Eye. 12 December 2018.
- ^ "Canciller dice relación es ejemplo de diálogo civilizaciones". nacion.com. 6 September 2006.