A senior Iranian cleric whose family is at the center of a high-profile corruption investigation has stepped down from his role as Tehran’s interim Friday prayer leader, Iranian state media reported on Sunday.
Kazem Sedighi, a longtime ally of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, requested to be relieved of his duties in order to focus on academic and religious work. The request was approved by Khamenei, in line with Article 110 of Iran’s Constitution, which gives the Supreme Leader authority over key appointments.
Sedighi, a prominent religious figure often seen at the pulpit of Tehran University’s weekly Friday prayers, had held the post since 2009.
The move comes weeks after Sedighi’s son and daughter-in-law were arrested by the Revolutionary Guard’s Intelligence Organization in connection with an alleged land deal involving public property in northern Tehran.
The case, which has sparked widespread attention on Iranian social media, centers on the transfer of a 4,200-square-meter plot—valued at around $20 million—from a seminary founded by Sedighi to a company linked to his family.
According to documents leaked by Iranian journalist and whistleblower Yashar Soltani, the company was established in mid-2023 and included several close associates of Sedighi, including his daughter-in-law and a member of his personal security detail.
Sedighi initially denied the allegations, saying that he was unaware of the land transfer and alleged that his signature on the documents had been forged.
However, mounting public pressure and additional disclosures prompted him to issue a public apology and confirm the return of the land to the seminary.
Iran’s judiciary and the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency confirmed that Sedighi’s son and daughter-in-law were arrested in July. Authorities have said the case is under “careful and independent judicial review.”
While Sedighi has not been formally charged with wrongdoing, the episode has reignited public debate around accountability and corruption within Iran’s religious and political elite.
Friday Prayer Imams in Iran serve not only as religious leaders but also as political representatives of the Supreme Leader in their respective cities. There are more than 900 such figures across the country, many of whom hold influence over local institutions and business interests.
Sedighi, sometimes referred to by his critics as “the weeping sheikh” for his emotional sermons, has been a fixture of Iran’s clerical establishment for decades and was known for his outspoken loyalty to Khamenei.
