Mashai is among Iran’s most controversial figures, widely reviled among conservative leaders for his reformist, anti-clerical views. In 2009, after Khamenei rejected Ahmadinejad’s decision to appoint Mashai as his first deputy, Ahmadinejad brazenly appointed him Chief of Staff, a move that infuriated Khamenei.
马沙伊是伊朗最具争议的人物，因其散布反教改革言论而广受诟病。2009年哈梅内伊否决内贾德任命马沙伊为第一副总统的决定后，内贾德公然任命其为参谋长的举动彻底激怒了哈梅内伊。