Cleric Seddiqi Accused of Transferring Seminary Land to Family-Owned Company
4. Systemic Corruption vs. Individual MisconductThe debate within Iran centers on whether corruption is merely "occasional" or "systemic." While high-profile cases like the $3 billion embezzlement from Bank Melli or the $2.6 billion oil fraud involving businessman Babak Zanjani are often prosecuted, critics argue that these are isolated examples used to settle political scores. The truly corrosive issue, they assert, is the systemic corruption embedded in the patronage networks where loyalty to the regime, rather than merit, grants access to lucrative state contracts, import licenses, and land deals, many of which are overseen by clerical or IRGC-linked figures.
