Mozaffar Shahedi

Amir Abbas Hoveyda was the Minister of Finance in Hassan Ali Mansour’s cabinet from 8 March 1964 to 21 Jan. 1965. In the last months of Mansur’s Cabinet, a handwritten report dated August 28 1964, the writer of which is unknown was presented including interesting information about the life and activities of Amir Abbas Hoveyda. This record in three pages, numbered 1-03-8975 without any heading and title is kept in document Center of Institute of Contemporary History Studies. Since then, several independent and enlightening books on Hoveyda’s life and political career have been published in details; however, it seems that the following report enjoys adequate originality, and will be more helpful in identifying his ways of life and sociopolitical personality.

28th August 1964

Amir Abbas Hoveyda, minister of finance

Amir Abbas Hoveyda, son of Einolmolk Bahai who had a shoe polish shop in Beirut in 1917.  His father saved some money, then came to Tehran, and married Adibossaltaneh Sardari’s sister. With the help of Adibossaltaneh, he became Iran’s consul general in Beirut and Damascus and at the outbreak of Second World War; he took great amounts of gold to issue Iranian passports for the escaping Jews, and gathered great wealth in this way.  Einolmolk had bought his title with the help of Sardar Assad Bakhtiari, paying 200 tomans to Mozaffaraddin Shah.

Education: Amir Abbas went to preliminary school in Tehran and Beirut and continued his education in Brussels and Paris.  In Paris, he was acquainted with Abdullah Entezam with whom he established friendly relations.

Jobs: In 1942, he entered the service with the State Department had the following occupations:

Secretary of Iran's mission to Germany, Deputy Director of third political bureau of Foreign Ministry, Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In the same trip he established closer relations with the British so that Americans believed that he had become an agent of Intelligent service and provides the service with the information regarding the refugees Then, he became the counselor of Iranian Embassy in Ankara, 1958; he entered the service of oil company and became the Vice Chairman of the Board of directors. During his service at the company, he committed a few crimes. Dr. Iqbal had collected all records of his crimes. However, as Hoveyda was a member of Mehr Freemasonry center (Mithra) and Eqbal was a freemason too, he did not act against him and Hoveyda’s illegal acts were kept hidden.

Marital status: a few years ago, he married Hassan Ali Mansur's sister. However, due to his weak sexuality, he was forced to divorce his wife. His wife married Manouchehr Teimurtash immediately. Since three years ago, he is in relationship with Leila Emami, Nezamaddin Emami’s daughter, and the prime minister, HassanAli Mansur’s sister in law. Now the rumors indicate that they are going to get married. He has relationship with an English woman whose husband is a member of the British Embassy. He has rented a house in Villa Street in the name of one of his friends and they meet in that house.

Friends: More than 20 years of friendship with Hassan Ali Mansur and formation of the "progressive center" in collaboration with him. He played the first role in the foundation of Iran Novin party, and was responsible for the administration of the party. Since his ministerial office, he has decreased his activities. He has close and intimate relationship with the British charge d'affaires, Phillips, and often they meet. The ophthalmologist, Dr. Hassan Alavi and Seyed Fakhroddin Shadman are his close friends.

He is polite, conservative, intimate, smokes pipe, and he always pushes clove (and recently, orchid flowers) in his breast pocket.

Asset: the price of his house is about half a million tomans, which he says Hassan Ali Mansur has built it for him. His house is adjacent to Mansur’s.

Religion: Although he is known to be Bahai, and in fact, he is Bahai, since a few years ago, he has not attended the Baha'i community. He has said to his friends, "atheism is better than religiosity.” He has said these words in one of his lunch meetings he has with some journalists on Wednesdays. The meetings are held since he has become the head of public relation department and a member of the board of directors of Oil Company. The members have accepted the expenses of the lunch meetings and each Wednesday they pay for it by turn.