Lost in Mina: The Bullet‑Test That Reunited Rafsanjani with Revolutionary Trust

Sunday, July 13, 2025  Read time1 min

SAEDNEWS: In the first Hajj following Iran’s 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani vanished amid Mina’s crowds—only to be recognised and rescued after passing an extraordinary identification test.

Lost in Mina: The Bullet‑Test That Reunited Rafsanjani with Revolutionary Trust

According to Saed News, Hojjat ol‑Islam Sadegh Mousavi Shirazi—grandson of Grand Ayatollah Abdullah Shirazi and a longtime aide to Imam Khomeini in Najaf—has recounted a remarkable episode from the 1980 Hajj, in which he accompanied Ayatollah Khamenei and the late Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Saudi authorities had installed Iran’s leadership in a luxury hotel, yet, in a gesture that underscored their revolutionary austerity, both clerics slipped away by night to join the main Iranian mission camp. “We came for Hajj, not tourism,” Khamenei reportedly declared.

After completing the stoning ritual at Mash‘ar al-Haram, the party advanced towards Mina. Almost immediately, Mousavi Shirazi realised that Rafsanjani—the architect of much of the young regime’s political strategy—had disappeared without trace. Fearing an assassination attempt was still fresh in memory, they dared not alert local authorities and spent anxious hours awaiting news. Near midday, Rafsanjani reappeared at the camp “cheerful as ever,” explaining that he had followed an Iranian flag to a makeshift tent.

Inside, opinion was divided: one aide mistook him for an impostor, another for a potential charlatan. Only when Rafsanjani bared his ihram to reveal the bullet wound from a previous assassination bid did his hosts offer a “warm reception.” The episode illuminates the early regime’s blend of paranoia and camaraderie—and the lengths to which its leaders would go to verify both identity and loyalty.



Latest news  
Sky Corridor: An Architectural Engineering Marvel – A Suspended Glass Bridge with Stunning Waterfall Views. Want to experience the most breathtaking high-altitude thrill? +Video Masterful Innovation at the Shanghai Auto Show: Chery’s Newest Ultra-Luxury, Fully Equipped Model – Live Your Dream with This Car! +Video Israeli Army: The fighting continues, and no ceasefire has been declared—for now. Step into the Qajar Era: Parade at ‘Naqsh-e Jahan’ and Naser al-Din Shah’s Grand Development Projects! Amazing Discovery: A 1,000-Year-Old Treasure Unearthed by a Lucky Family in Their Backyard + Photos Amazing Discovery of a Cave Full of Antiques and Valuable Treasures in Iran – Seeing Them Will Blow Your Mind! +Photos A 20-Year-Old Girl with a Rare Condition Who Has No Bones in Her Body! + Astonishing Photos Araghchi: Iran is Determined to Safeguard Its Nuclear Rights. Heavy Israeli strikes on Gaza continue, despite Tel Aviv’s claims of scaling back operations. Trump Blocks the Way: World Cup Visas Hit with New Restrictions! Iran’s Fearsome Weapon That Has Left Enemies Stunned! The Whole World Races to Build It… Netanyahu: “None of The Plan’s Provisions Will be Implemented Until All Hostages Are Freed! Will Russia and China Abandon Iran in the Next Iran-Israel War? What Happens If Iran Fires 400 Missiles in the First 24 Hours… Trump: The First Phase of the Gaza Agreement Is On the Verge of Being Finalized. Who Is the Israeli Woman Behind Reza Pahlavi? / Mossad’s Secret Operation for Reza Pahlavi’s Coronation!