He was arrested and sentenced to death by an Islamic revolutionary tribunal shortly after the Iranian Revolution for charges including corruption, contacts with Israel and Zionism, and "friendship with the enemies of God", and was executed by firing squad.

Elghanian was born in 1912 in Persia[3] and had six brothers, Aghadjan, Davoud, Nourollah (father of Henry Elghanayan), Sion, Ataollah and Nedjatollah.

[6] Elghanian was arrested in 1975 as part of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's attempts to eliminate corruption among major businesspeople.

Shortly after the Islamic revolution in 1979, Elghanian was arrested on 16 March after returning to Iran, and accused of spying.

[2] A report by Time magazine states: Elghanian, who was convicted of spying for Israel, was said to have made huge investments in Israel and to have solicited funds for the Israeli army, which the prosecution claimed made him an accomplice "in murderous air raids against innocent Palestinians.

[1] Amid the post-revolution chaos, the government with its many rival factions initially refused to release Elghanian's body to his family for burial.