SAEDNEWS: A striking anecdote from the personal physician of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has shed new light on his austere lifestyle, revealing he once returned sacrificial meat simply because he had no refrigerator to store it.
According to Saed News, Dr. Alireza Marandi, head of the Supreme Leader's medical team, recently spoke in an in-depth interview about his decades-long association with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offering rare insights into the leader’s health routines and remarkably simple way of life. Among the many anecdotes, one story stood out: the Supreme Leader once declined to keep sacrificial meat gifted to him during Eid al-Adha because his household lacked a refrigerator.
As Marandi recounted, the story was told by Mohsen Rafiqdoost, a former official, who had gifted the meat to the Leader. The package was returned. A second attempt—this time accompanied by reassurances that the meat was personally sourced and religious dues had been paid—resulted in the Ayatollah accepting only a small portion, with the rest again returned. Upon inquiry, those close to him revealed the reason: the household had no refrigerator, and he only kept what was needed for the day.
Marandi, a former U.S.-trained physician and former health minister, underscored how the Supreme Leader has consistently prioritized simplicity, even during his presidency in the 1980s. At that time, he reportedly lived in two rooms inside the presidential compound, using a small kerosene stove for cooking. His family prepared meals with minimal ingredients—often just a modest portion of meat or a simple meal of eggplant or yogurt and bread.
Even today, the physician says, the Leader avoids excess. He follows medical advice strictly, eats sparingly, often declines salt, and instructs aides to purchase only the cheapest available fruits—not the best quality. The intention, Marandi notes, is clear: to live like the lower classes of society, a commitment that continues despite his advancing age and status.
These revelations come in stark contrast to the lifestyles of many political elites globally, offering a window into the values that guide Iran’s most powerful figure—even in the most personal of habits.
