Standing in front of a fleet of gleaming mini-buses, with the snow-capped Pamir mountains in the background, Mr Zanjani talks about the recent chain of events that have catapulted him into the headlines both at home in Iran and abroad.
And so down into the streets we went: the idea being to make our way towards the Grand Mosque at midday prayer time -- after which the faithful head for Mina from the buses, cars, mini-buses, mopeds and the like that ferried them there.