Rostam Pirasteh
Rostam Pirasteh | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance | |
| In office January 1978 – February 1979 | |
| Prime Minister | Shapour Bakhtiar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1929[a] |
| Education | PhD (Economics) |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | banker, economist, politician |
Rostam Pirasteh[b] was an Iranian banker, and economist politician who served as minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran in the government of Shapour Bakhtiar during the final months of the Pahlavi monarchy in 1979. Prior to entering politics, he served in banking and academia in both the United States and Iran, including serving as head of the International Bank of Iran (IBI).[2] He also served governor of Fars Province in 1930s.[3]
Early life and education
Pirasteh was born in c. 1929.[c] He obtained higher education in the United States, studying at Yale University, where he obtained master of science (MS), master of industrial science (MIS),[2] and PhD in economics.[4] After completing his studies in 1966, he joined the management consulting firm McKinsey, where he worked until 1969. He subsequently joined the faculty of Columbia Business School as a member of its academic staff. He later entered the banking sector and worked at Chase Bank where he served as a senior vice president.[2] He spent two decades in the US and, according to The New York Times, made significant contributions to American banking sector.[1]
Career
Banking career in Iran
In early 1975, Pirasteh resigned from Chase Manhattan Bank and returned to Iran to establish the International Bank of Iran (IBI), where he became head of the institution.[2][5] IBI operated as a full-service commercial bank and was structured as a publicly owned corporation, with approximately 35 percent ownership held by Chase Manhattan Bank. Under Pirasteh's leadership, the bank expanded significantly and became one of Iran's largest financial institutions, reportedly reaching a balance sheet exceeding $1 billion.[2] Following the establishment of the post-revolutionary government in 1979, the bank was nationalized.[2]
Political career
Pirasteh later joined the government of prime minister Shapour Bakhtiar, serving as minister of Finance and Economic Affairs (1978–1979)[4] during the final period of the Imperial State of Iran.[2] His tenure coincided with the political crisis preceding the collapse of the Pahlavi government during the Iranian Revolution. After the revolutionary government took power, Pirasteh was arrested and imprisoned by the new government for approximately four months.[2]
After his release from prison, he remained in Iran for several months before eventually moving to the United States,[2] after which little is publicly known about his later life.
In late 1979, he provided an assessment of political conditions in revolutionary Iran, particularly regarding the leadership of Ruhollah Khomeini and the emerging structure of the new Islamic Republic.[2] According to a memorandum prepared for U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, Pirasteh described the revolutionary government as lacking coherent administrative planning and argued that economic pressures and institutional instability could undermine the durability of the new political order. He also offered views on the ongoing Iran hostage crisis, concerning skepticism regarding prospects for a negotiated resolution while Ruhollah Khomeini remained in power.[2]
Coup
In the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, he was accused of participating in the Nojeh coup plot, an alleged conspiracy aimed at overthrowing the government of Ruhollah Khomeini.[3]
Notes
- ↑ The New York Times reported in January 1979 that Pirasteh was aged 49, indicating an approximate year of birth 1929.[1]
- ↑ Persian: رستم پیراسته, romanized: Rostam Pīrāsteh
- ↑ The New York Times reported in January 1979 that Pirasteh was aged 49, indicating an approximate year of birth 1929.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Jr, R. W. Apple (1979-01-21), "Army, Moslem Groups and Politicians Are the Power Centers", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 2026-06-14
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Impressions on Iran". CIA. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- 1 2 "37 روز با آخرین بازمانده". شرق (in Persian). 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- 1 2 "بررسی سوابق تحصیلی وزرای امور اقتصادی از ابتدای تاسیس" (in Persian). مشرق نیوز. 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ Times, R. w Apple Jr Special to The New York (1979-01-07), "New Iran Cabinet Unable to Bring in Main Opposition", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 2026-06-14