The backlash began after Rasaei shared a post titled "Who is Qualified for Leadership?" on his Telegram channel on Thursday. Many observers interpreted the post as a veiled reference to Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader.
In the post, Rasaei highlighted a verse from Surah Hud containing God's direct response to Noah regarding his drowned son. In the verse, God states that the son is not truly part of Noah’s family due to his disbelief and unrighteous conduct, warning Noah against questioning divine matters beyond his knowledge.
Because this religious story is widely known among Iranians, the idiom “Noah’s son” is frequently used in Iranian culture to describe a wicked or rebellious child who falls into bad company despite having pious parents.
Allegations of disrespecting the Leader
Some media outlets, several political figures from various factions, and many social media users said that in this post, he had implicitly characterized Mojtaba Khamenei as an unrighteous, wayward son of his father.
"What is the relevance of bringing up the issue of leadership under the current circumstances—when the late martyr-leader's righteous son has succeeded him, and especially at a time when enemies are manufacturing rumors about this every single day—and then referencing the verse about Noah’s son? What on earth was Rasaei’s motive for spinning such a ridiculous, convoluted narrative?,” Asr-e Iran website wrote.
Ruhollah Jomei, a journalist and official under the Rouhani administration, suggested that Rasaei’s post effectively revealed plans by Saeed Jalili's camp and the Paydari Front to undermine Mojtaba Khamenei's leadership.
Mohammad-Hossein Chavoshi, a conservative political activist, also wrote in a post: "What is the meaning of Mr. Rasaei’s message? No matter how we look at it, it leaves a bad impression," and he demanded accountability from him.
Attacking Ghalibaf despite Khamenei's praise
Rasaei’s post was notably published on the exact same day that Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written message to Parliament. In his statement, Khamenei expressed appreciation for Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s leadership, while emphasizing the need to avoid factional disputes and maintain national unity.
“Why did he post the note right after the Leader’s message thanking Ghalibaf?” one social media user questioned.
Ghalibaf, recently appointed as the head of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, is widely considered to be Khamenei's right-hand man. Nevertheless, Rasaei—who remains fiercely critical of the parliament speaker—warned him in a separate Saturday post against "repeating the mistakes" of Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad-Javad Zarif by relying on nuclear diplomacy and "pinning hopes on talks."
Who is Hamid Rasaei?
Hamid Rasaei was one of the key members of the Paydari (Steadfastness) Front, but by his own account—left the party because of differences with other members of the party's central council over a decade ago.
By his own admission, however, he feels a strong ideological closeness to the hardline party.
The Paydari Party and like-minded groups, often referred to as “super-revolutionaries”, are vehemently opposed to any negotiation or compromise with the United States, viewing it as a betrayal of the 'ideals of the Islamic Revolution' as well as the viewpoints of Ali Khamenei.
Rasaei’s defense
Rasaei defended himself by publishing another note, saying he had simply reshared an older piece of his writing and that it was published several hours before Mojtaba Khamenei’s message.
He insisted that he was among the very first to vouch for Mojtaba’s personal qualifications for leadership, even introducing him as a suitable option for leadership two days after the news of Ali Khamenei's killing was announced.
Mehdi Ghasemzadeh, a social media activist, wrote that based on the Leader's recommendation, it might be better to accept Rasaei's explanations and avoid fueling disputes.
However, he noted that if someone from another political group had written such a note, it would have triggered protests by Rasaei's like-minded allies at nightly gatherings of government supporters.
