TEHRAN, July 6: Dr. Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, the father-in-law of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, thanked the Pakistani government for expressing condolences over the martyrdom of the “Shaheed Rahbar.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview, he said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has always paid special attention to Muslims in Pakistan and the wider subcontinent, even before becoming Supreme Leader.
He noted that Khamenei was among the first people in Iran to recognize and study Allama Iqbal. “50 years ago when Javed Iqbal visited Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was President at the time,” Haddad Adel recalled.
“He gave a speech about Allama Iqbal in Javed Iqbal’s presence. Afterward, Javed Iqbal said that if the entire Muslim Ummah understood Iqbal the way Ayatollah Khamenei does, our destiny would be very different.”
According to him, it’s this deep understanding of Iqbal that explains the late Leader’s affection and focus on Pakistan.
Haddad Adel added that the people of Pakistan also share their sympathy with the people of Iran through their emotions and sentiments. He said the Pakistani government has been trying to play a mediating role between Iran and the United States.
“Whether those talks succeed depends on what the Americans’ agenda really is,” he said. “We don’t trust the Americans, and we’re skeptical of them. Pakistan understands this reality too. I hope the Pakistani government’s efforts lead somewhere.”
He also addressed rumors about the Supreme Leader’s health, saying, “Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is completely fine and is carrying out his duties.”