Supreme Leader of Iran

Supreme Leader of Iran. The Supreme Leader is the highest-ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran, serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The position, established by the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, embodies the principle of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (Velayat-e Faqih) and holds ultimate authority over all branches of government. The office has been held by Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the republic, and his successor, the current leader Ali Khamenei.

Constitutional role and powers

The Supreme Leader's expansive authority is derived from the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which designates him as the ultimate arbiter of the nation's political system. He appoints the head of the Judiciary of Iran, the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Armed Forces chiefs, and the Friday prayer leaders across the country. The leader also confirms the election of the President of Iran, has the power to dismiss the president, and can issue decrees for national referendums. Furthermore, he controls key state bodies like the Expediency Discernment Council and the Supreme National Security Council, and sets the general policies of the state after consultation with the Assembly of Experts. His authority extends to declaring war and peace and mobilizing the armed forces, as seen during the Iran–Iraq War.

Selection and removal

The Supreme Leader is selected by the Assembly of Experts, an elected body of Islamic clerics tasked with overseeing the leadership. According to the constitution, the candidate must possess advanced Islamic scholarship, justice, piety, and political and social discernment. The assembly's choice is not limited to a specific number of candidates and is based on a majority vote. The leader serves for life, but the Assembly of Experts is constitutionally mandated to monitor his performance and can theoretically remove him if he is deemed incapable of fulfilling his duties, though this mechanism has never been invoked. The succession process was tested following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, leading to the selection of Ali Khamenei and a subsequent amendment to the constitution to lower the scholarly requirements for the office.

List of officeholders

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, there have been two Supreme Leaders. The first was Ruhollah Khomeini, who held the position from the revolution's triumph in 1979 until his death in June 1989. Khomeini's tenure was defined by the Iranian Revolution, the Iran hostage crisis, and the protracted Iran–Iraq War. He was succeeded by Ali Khamenei, previously the President of Iran from 1981 to 1989, who was elevated to the leadership by the Assembly of Experts. Khamenei's leadership, ongoing since 1989, has overseen periods of domestic political struggle, international tensions regarding Iran's nuclear program, and significant influence over regional affairs in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon through proxies like Hezbollah.

Relationship with other institutions

The Supreme Leader's power is exercised through a complex network of overlapping institutions, ensuring his supremacy over the elected government. While the President of Iran and the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) handle day-to-day governance, the leader's appointees permeate the state. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia operate as key instruments of his authority, separate from the regular Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Bodies like the Guardian Council, which vets all electoral candidates and legislation, and the Expediency Discernment Council are directly influenced by his office. This structure often creates tension, as seen in conflicts between presidents like Mohammad Khatami or Hassan Rouhani and the conservative establishment loyal to the leadership.

Historical development

The office originated from the political ideology of Ruhollah Khomeini, who articulated the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist during his exile in Najaf, Iraq. This doctrine was institutionalized following the Iranian Revolution and the 1979 constitutional referendum. The original constitution was amended in 1989 after Khomeini's death, merging the positions of Supreme Leader and "Marja'" (source of emulation) and formally establishing the Expediency Discernment Council to resolve legislative disputes. The leadership of Ali Khamenei has seen the consolidation of power within the office, particularly through the growing political and economic influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the suppression of major protest movements such as the 1999 student protests and the Green Movement protests in 2009.

Category:Iranian political titles Category:Heads of state of Iran Category:1979 establishments in Iran