he paper wrote: “Hashemi has not relied solely on negotiations with the Deputy Minister of Sports to secure the position. Reportedly close to the family of a conservative presidential candidate and his brother—who has prior management experience in football—Hashemi is said to be leveraging these connections to exert additional pressure on Mehdi Taj to reverse his decision on appointing the acting women’s vice president.”
Sources also told IR International that Hashemi has sought help from Sara Rezaei, daughter of Mohsen Rezaei, to strengthen her case. Etemad further pointed to “political and external pressures from the Ministry of Sports and the Presidential Office,” which ultimately trace back to Mohsen Rezaei — the perennial presidential candidate, brother of Omidvar Rezaei (a former Esteghlal board chairman under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), and a former parliament member and sports federation official.
