Excerpt from the Memoirs of Mehdi Chamran
The Journey of the Members of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Lebanon to Iran
Selected by Faezeh Sasanikhah
Translated by Kianoush Borzouei
2025-2-24
"... At that time, Dr. Mostafa Chamran had not yet arrived in Iran; he was still in Lebanon. We were eagerly anticipating his arrival… One day, while I was walking through the corridors of the Prime Minister’s Office—since my duties during those days were predominantly based there—I was deeply focused on my work when suddenly, someone called out my surname, ‘Chamran.’ Just then, another individual approached me and asked, ‘Are you Chamran?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He then said, ‘Someone by the name of Chamran has been persistently contacting the Prime Minister’s Office via telex since this morning, sending messages from Beirut, yet no one has responded to him. What relation do you have with him?’ I replied, ‘He is my brother.’
With the assistance of that individual, I examined all the telex messages that had arrived at the Prime Minister’s Office since the morning. Finally, I found Mostafa’s message. Upon checking, I realized that eight hours had passed since the messages had been sent. The Lebanese aircraft was awaiting our permission to enter Iranian airspace[1], carrying a delegation intending to meet and pay respect to Imam Khomeini.
This aircraft was transporting a distinguished group of Lebanon’s religious and political leaders, including the late Sheikh Mahdi Shamseddine, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council; Sayyed Hussein Husseini, then the leader of the Lebanese Parliament; Nabih Berri, the current leader of the Lebanese Parliament; along with many of Imam Musa Sadr’s close associates, prominent Sunni scholars from Lebanon, and warriors from the Amal Movement, accompanied by Dr. Chamran—92 individuals in total.
When I contacted my brother, he was immensely relieved. At the time, the Iranian Foreign Minister was Dr. Sanjabi. Despite the friendly relationship between him and my brother, for reasons unknown to me, there were obstacles preventing the plane’s clearance to land. After persistent efforts and rigorous follow-ups, authorization was finally granted for the aircraft to land at Mehrabad Airport. However, I must note that my brother, Mostafa, was utterly infuriated by the unnecessary delay and the evident indifference shown by the officials at the Prime Minister’s Office towards this Lebanese delegation—particularly in those tumultuous days of the revolution.
Nevertheless, the delegation ultimately entered Tehran and met with Imam Khomeini. It was through this very journey that Dr. Chamran came to Iran. During the meeting, Imam Khomeini addressed the delegation, stating that ‘the most precious gift you have brought for us and the revolution is Dr. Chamran.’ Following this encounter, Imam did not permit Chamran to return to Lebanon[2]. At the Imam’s instruction, he remained in Iran and never returned to Lebanon.”[3] [4]
[1]On February 19, 1979 (30/11/1357 in the Persian calendar), a delegation from the Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Lebanon, led by the late Sheikh Mahdi Shamseddine—who at the time held the position of Vice President of the Council—along with the leadership cadre of the Harakat al-Mahrumin (Movement of the Deprived) and the Amal Organization, traveled to Iran. They met with Imam Khomeini, who expressed his gratitude for their support during his exile in France, affirming that, ultimately, justice would prevail. (Political and Social Memoirs, Dr. Sadegh Tabatabai, Arouj Publishing, affiliated with the Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works, 2008, p. 257)
[2]With Dr. Chamran’s arrival in Iran, the Amal Organization lost one of its most crucial leaders and central figures. While his presence in Iran was a blessing for the battlefronts in the southern and western regions, Amal suffered significantly in his absence, particularly in terms of its spiritual, organizational, and collective morale. Nevertheless, the enduring spiritual legacy of Imam Musa Sadr, coupled with Chamran’s unwavering commitment to struggle and resistance, ultimately gave rise to the Hezbollah movement.
[3]Islamic Revolution Documents Center Archive, Interview with Mehdi Chamran, Retrieval Number 1144.
[4]Source: Najafpour, Majid, The Swallow of Dehlavieh: The Oral History of the Life and Struggles of Martyr Mostafa Chamran, Islamic Revolution Documents Center, 2014, p. 100.
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