The Ghaffari Clan of Kashan

Ali was the General Director of His Majesty’s Imperial Court, when Hoveyda was the Minister of the Imperial Court.  In his previous position he was the special Aid Du camp and Director of Protocol for the Prime Minister, Hoveyda.  He started his career in the Foreign Ministry following in the footsteps of many in his family including his uncles Abdullah and Nasrullah Entezam. He received his PhD in political science from the University of Geneva in 1947 and upon returning to Iran worked in the Foreign Ministry.  He then joined the NIOC (National Iranian Oil Company) when Abdullah was the Chairman of the Board to run his office. There he met, again, his friend Amir Abbas Hoveyda.  Ali and Hoveyda had met in Geneva and Belgium when Hoveyda was in Abdullah’s circle.  When Abdullah brought both Hoveyda and Hassan Ali Mansur into his own circle. Ali also worked in the literacy campaign with Her Highness Princess Ashraf, and the Iranian Conference board.

Ali was a freemason, member of the Aftab Lodge.  A devout Dervish and Sufi, after the death of Abdullah, he was asked to lead the Dervish sect, the Safi Ali Shah’s in Tehran in 1980.