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109-635: Bashiriyeh has been described as the "father of political sociology in Iran," and was a prominent academic figure influencing the Iranian reform movement . He taught at the University of Tehran for 25 years until being expelled from his post amid political tensions in 2007. Bashiriyeh was born on June 15, 1953 in Hamedan, Iran. His education began in his hometown, after which he pursued a bachelor’s degree in political theory at

218-448: A "prominent Iranian cleric and a former lawmaker said on Sunday that they had spoken to some of the authors and had no doubt the letter was genuine". According to this cleric, the letter's signatories number "several dozen, and are mostly midranking figures from Qum, Isfahan and Mashhad", and that "the pressure on clerics in Qum is much worse than the pressure on activists because the establishment

327-450: A 2010 version of these statements in the fatwa section of the website in Farsi as a fatwa on "Prohibition of Weapons of Mass Destruction". Doubts have been cast by experts on the existence of the fatwa as it can be changed or modified as and when deemed necessary, as well as doubts on its authenticity, its impact, and its apparently religious nature. Gareth Porter believes that the fatwa

436-587: A Khamenei appointee, has warned the president of Iran against voicing opposition to Khamenei. In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini dismissed Ayatollah Montazeri as his political successor, giving the position to Khamenei instead. Because Khamenei was neither a marja' or ayatollah , the Assembly of Experts had to modify the constitution to award him the position of Iran's new Supreme Leader (a decision opposed by several grand ayatollahs). Khamenei officially succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini after Khomeini's death, being elected as

545-687: A broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy. as well as elaborating on the factors needed to create Islamic unity, he argues: "neither the Shia Muslims allied with the British MI6 are Shias, nor the Sunni mercenaries of the American CIA are Sunnis, as they are both anti-Islamic." In 2010, Khamenei issued a fatwa that bans any insult to the Sahabah (companions of Muhammad) as well as Muhammad's wives . The fatwa

654-467: A father and a son." In 2012, Khamenei ordered a halt to a parliamentary inquiry into Ahmadinejad's mishandling of the Iranian economy. In 2016, Khamenei advised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his former ally with whom his relationship was strained after Ahmadinejad accused his son Mojtaba Khamenei of embezzling from the state treasury, to not run for president again. Khamenei rejected talks for referendums on

763-446: A fatwa stating, "The promotion of music [both traditional and Western] in schools is contrary to the goals and teachings of Islam, regardless of age and level of study." Many music schools were closed and public (but not private) music instruction to children under 16 was banned thereafter. In 1999, Khamenei had issued a fatwa stating that it was permitted to use a third party (donor sperm, ova or surrogacy) in fertility treatments. This

872-479: A few months, at a televised meeting with then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Cabinet ministers, important clerics, the leader of parliament and provincial governors, the heads of state broadcasting and the Iranian chamber of commerce, Khamenei ordered: "to pass some laws, sell off some businesses, and be quick about it." Khamenei warned that "those who are hostile to these policies are the ones who are going to lose their interests and influence." In 1994, after

981-516: A fortune running into billions of dollars." A six-month investigation by Reuters has said that Khamenei controls a "financial empire" worth approximately US$ 95 billion that the Iranian Parliament does not oversee, a figure much larger than the estimated wealth of the late Shah of Iran . According to the Reuters investigation, Khamenei uses the assets of a company called Headquarters for Executing

1090-515: A landslide vote (97%) in the October 1981 Iranian presidential election in which only four candidates were approved by the Council of Guardians. Khamenei became the first cleric to be in the office. Ruhollah Khomeini had originally wanted to keep clerics out of the presidency but later changed his views. Khamenei was reelected in 1985 Iranian presidential election where only three candidates were approved by

1199-399: A leading academic figure in Iran, known for his liberal and democratic perspectives. His influence on Iran’s reform movement grew as he taught a generation of students who would later become prominent in Iranian politics. However, his progressive ideas, particularly regarding democratization, put him at odds with the conservative government in Iran, especially as political tensions heightened in

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1308-630: A phrase that would have been almost unimaginable not long ago." The letter was addressed to the head of the Assembly of Experts , Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a "powerful former president" who also questions the election results. According to the Associated Press, it is unlikely the letter's demands would be met as "two-thirds of the 86-member assembly are considered strong loyalists of Khamenei and would oppose" any investigation of him. According to The New York Times reporting in mid-August 2009,

1417-534: A position as a visiting professor at Syracuse University in the United States, where he began teaching courses on Middle Eastern politics and democratization. His relocation allowed him to continue his academic work in a less restrictive environment, although visa constraints initially raised concerns about his ability to remain in the U.S. As of 2024, Bashiriyeh continues to teach at the university. Hossein Bashiriyeh

1526-631: A rerun of the 1979 referendum that established the Islamic Republic in Iran: "a 'yes or no' vote on whether today's Iranians still want the authoritarian Islamic Republic that another generation's revolution brought them." It is said to have been born out of "the ashes of the failures of Khatami's Islamic democracy movement" and reflected in one-word graffiti on walls in Tehran saying "no". It has been criticized as calling for complete system change without "building

1635-469: A run-off election, according to the official count. The election was generally seen as an upset victory for the Reformists' Party with many political observers expecting low voter turnout. Pezeshkian is described as a centrist, in stark contrast to his predecessor, Raisi, who was described as a "hard-liner." He has promised several economic, political, and cultural reforms; however, several obstacles remain in

1744-422: A student, Khamenei traveled to Libya during his time as president. In his speeches, Khamenei regularly mentions many familiar themes of the 1979 revolution: justice, independence, self-sufficiency, Islamic government and resolute opposition to Israel and the United States, while rarely mentioning other revolutionary ideals such as democracy and greater government transparency. According to Karim Sadjadpour of

1853-459: A tape recorder, exploded beside him. On 27 June 1981, while Khamenei had returned from the frontline , he went to the Aboozar Mosque according to his Saturday's schedule. After the first prayer, he lectured to worshippers who had written their questions on paper. Meanwhile, a young man who pressed a button put a tape recorder accompanied by papers on the desk in front of Khamenei. After a minute

1962-516: A video that surfaced during the 2017–18 Iranian protests , Khamenei is seen before the assembly said he was not religiously qualified to be a Supreme leader. Khamenei, who was ranked as a Hujjat al-Islam and not a marja' as required by the Iranian constitution, said he would only be a "ceremonial leader", and was reassured by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani the position would be "temporary" until a referendum, apparently planned for one year later. On 29 August 2022, al-Haeri announced his resignation from

2071-496: A vigil outside Sina hospital, where he was being treated. Due to this injury, Hajjarian now uses a walking frame, and his voice is distorted. His convicted assailant Saeed Asgar , a young man who was reported to be a member of the Basij militia, served only a small part of his 15-year jail sentence. Red Eminence and Grey Eminences ( Persian : عالیجناب سرخپوش و عالیجنابان خاکستری "Alijenabe Sorkhpoosh, Alijenabane Khakestari" )

2180-469: Is "sincere" and Gholam-Hossein Elham commented that it will not change. In 2000, Khamenei sent a letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law to allow more press freedom. He wrote: "The present press law has prevented this big plague. The draft bill is not legitimate and in the interests of the system and the revolution." Earlier in 1996, he issued

2289-470: Is Baha'i, as well as Shi'ite Muslims, business people and Iranians living abroad." Despite the negative accounts of Western sources, Iranian official authorities depict Setad as a vast charity foundation. In an interview in October 2014 with Islamic Republic News Agency , Muhammad Mukhber , the head of Setad, stated that over 90% of profits from Setad business activities are spent on improving infrastructure in

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2398-516: Is afraid that if they say anything they can turn the more traditional sectors of society against the regime". Early in his presidency, Ahmadinejad was sometimes described as "enjoy[ing] the full backing" of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and even as being his "protege". In Ahmadinejad's 2005 inauguration the supreme leader allowed Ahmadinejad to kiss his hand and cheeks in what was called "a sign of closeness and loyalty", and after

2507-509: Is as follows: The ritual of Bara'ah which means refusing every instance of mercilessness, cruelty, wrongdoing and corruption of the tyrants of any time, and rising against intimidation and extortion by the arrogant throughout history, is one of the great blessings of Hajj, and an opportunity for oppressed Muslim nations. Khamenei was one of the Ulama signatories of the Amman Message , which gives

2616-415: Is the name of a series of newspaper articles and a book written by Akbar Ganji under the responsibility of Saeed Hajjarian, in which he criticized former president Akbar Rafsanjani as the "Red Eminence" and the intelligence officers in his government, such as Ali Fallahian , as the "Grey Eminences". His subsequent prosecution and conviction for "anti-Islamic activities" for his role in the publication of

2725-556: Is the second of eight children. Two of his brothers are also clerics; his younger brother, Hadi Khamenei , is a newspaper editor and cleric. His elder sister Fatemeh Hosseini Khamenei died in 2015, aged 89. His father was an ethnic Azerbaijani from Khamaneh , while his mother was an ethnic Persian from Yazd . Some of his ancestors are from Tafresh in today's Markazi Province and migrated from their original home in Tafresh to Khamaneh near Tabriz . Khamenei's great ancestor

2834-477: Is used to fund Khamenei's Beit Rahbari compound, which employs over 500 stewards, as was reported in 2013. Hamid Vaezi, Setad's head of public relations, said the information "was far from realities and is not correct". The six-month investigation by Reuters found that, regarding the source of Setad's funds, "Setad built its empire on the systematic seizure of thousands of properties belonging to ordinary Iranians: members of religious minorities like Vahdat-e-Hagh, who

2943-544: The 2009 presidential election were Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi . Mousavi supporters disbelieved the election results and initiated a series of protests that lasted several days. After many days of protesting against the election results, the protests eventually turned violent as the Basij (loyal militia to the Islamic Republic) started attacking the protesters and vice versa. Some protesters turned their anger to

3052-770: The 2019–20 protests , the 2021–22 protests , and the Mahsa Amini protests . Journalists, bloggers, and others have been imprisoned in Iran for insulting Khamenei, often in conjunction with blasphemy charges. Their sentences have included lashing and jail time; some have died in custody. Regarding the nuclear program of Iran , Khamenei issued a fatwa in 2003 forbidding the production, stockpiling and use of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. Born to Seyed Javad Khamenei , an Alim and Mujtahid born in Najaf , and Khadijeh Mirdamadi (daughter of Hashem Mirdamadi ]) in Mashhad , Khamenei

3161-432: The 27 Khordad presidential election (June 17, 2005), Mostafa Moin and Mehdi Karroubi were the main candidates of the 2nd of Khordad movement. However, neither made it to the second round of the election (the final runoff): Moin came in fifth and Karroubi third in the first round. As a result, many supporters of the reform movement lost hope and did not participate in the election. The two leading reformist candidates in

3270-776: The Anjoman-e-Eslami (Islamic Association) and Office for Strengthening Unity student groups. Many institutions support the movement of reformation such as organizations like Organization of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution (OMIR) and the Majma’a Rohaneeyoon Mobarez or the Forum of the Militant Clergy, or Office for Fostering Unity and Freedom Movement of Iran . There were also many media outlets in support like

3379-492: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , Khamenei has "resisted Rafsanjani's attempts to find a modus vivendi with the United States, Khatami's aspirations for a more democratic Islamic state, and Ahmadinejad's penchant for outright confrontation." In 2007, Khamenei called for privatizing state-owned companies, including the telephone company, three banks and dozens of small oil and petrochemical enterprises. After

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3488-661: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna . It's been widely discussed by international officials and specifically recognized by the US administration. The Iranian official website for information regarding its nuclear program has provided numerous instances of public statements by Khamenei wherein he voices his opposition to the pursuit and development of nuclear weapons in moral, religious and Islamic juridical terms. Khamenei's official website specifically cites

3597-651: The Iraqi Army was expelled from Iran in 1982, Khamenei became one of the main opponents of his own decision to counter-invade into Iraq, an opinion Khamenei shared with Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi , with whom he would later conflict during the 2009–10 Iranian election protests . In its 10 April 1997 ruling regarding the Mykonos restaurant assassinations , the German court issued an international arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence minister Ali Fallahian after declaring that

3706-457: The 2005 presidential election and the 2004 Majlis election can be explained "not so much" by an expansion of "their limited core base as by [their] dividing of the reformers and [their] discouraging them from voting," according to political historian Ervand Abrahamian : The conservatives won in part because they retained their 25% base; in part because they recruited war veterans to run as their candidates; in part because they wooed independents on

3815-456: The 2009 election fully endorsed Ahmadinejad against protesters. However, as early as January 2008 signs of disagreement between the two men developed over domestic policies, and by the period of 2010–11 several sources detected a "growing rift" between them. The disagreement was described as centered on Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei , a top adviser and close confidant of Ahmadinejad. Mashaei was vice president of Iran until being ordered to resign from

3924-456: The 290 Majlis seats in that election. In January 2004, shortly before the 2004 Iranian legislative elections (the 7th Parliament), the conservative Council of Guardians ended Iranian voters' continued support for reformists by banning about 2500 candidates, nearly half of the total, including 80 sitting Parliament deputies. More than 100 MPs resigned in protest and critics complained the move "shattered any pretense of Iranian democracy". In

4033-535: The American Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , several factors have strengthened Khamenei in recent years: (1) A vast network of commissars stationed in strategic posts throughout government bureaucracies, dedicated to enforcing his authority; (2) the weak, conservative-dominated parliament, headed by Khamenei loyalist Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel (whose daughter is married to the Leader's son); (3)

4142-460: The Council of Guardians, receiving 87% of the votes. The only Iranian presidential election with fewer candidates approved by the Council of Guardians was the 1989 Iranian presidential election , where only two candidates were approved by the Council of Guardians to run, and Rafsanjani easily won 96% of the votes. In his presidential inaugural address, Khamenei vowed to eliminate "deviation, liberalism, and American-influenced leftists". According to

4251-455: The Iran Chamber, vigorous opposition to the government, including nonviolent and violent protest, assassinations, guerrilla activity and insurrections, was answered by state repression and terror in the early 1980s, both before and during Khamenei's presidency. Thousands of rank-and-file members of insurgent groups were killed, often by revolutionary courts. By 1982, the government announced that

4360-576: The Iran-e-farda and kian magazinez. Khatami's support is said to have cut across regions and class lines with even some members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , Qom seminarians and Basij members voting for him. The core of his electoral support, however, came from the modern middle class, college students, women, and urban workers. For example, by 1995, about half of Iran's 60.5 million people were too young to be alive at

4469-495: The Iranian Revolution, when the former President of Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , then a confidant of Khomeini, brought Khamenei into Khomeini's inner circle. Later on, Hassan Rouhani , then a member of Parliament, arranged for Khamenei to get his first major post in the provisional revolutionary government as deputy defense minister. Khomeini appointed Khamenei to the post of Tehran's Friday prayers Imam in 1980, after

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4578-617: The Order of the Imam or "Setad" in Farsi, to increase his grip on power. Reuters "found no evidence that Khamenei is tapping Setad to enrich himself," but did find that he used Setad's funds, which "rival the holdings of the shah", for political expedience – "Setad gives him the financial means to operate independently of parliament and the national budget, insulating him from Iran's messy factional infighting." According to The Daily Telegraph , money from Setad

4687-544: The Reforms Front is the main umbrella organization and coalition within the movement; however, there are reformist groups not aligned with the council, such as the Reformists Front . Masoud Pezeshkian , a reformist, was elected president following the 2024 Iranian presidential election , and was subsequently confirmed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 28 July. The 2nd of Khordad Movement usually refers not only to

4796-546: The Revolution; Traditionalism as Counter-enlightenment in Iran; Class Struggles after the Revolution; Political Ideology and Identity-Building after the Revolution. Iranian reformists The Reformists ( Persian : اصلاح‌طلبان , romanized :  Eslâh -Talabân ) are a political faction in Iran . Iran's "reform era" is sometimes said to have lasted from 1997 to 2005—the length of President Mohammad Khatami 's two terms in office. The Council for Coordinating

4905-544: The Supreme Leader of Iran. There have also been instances when the Guardian Council reversed its ban on particular people after being ordered to do so by Khamenei. There have been major protests during Khamenei's reign, including the 1994 Qazvin protests, the 1999 student protests , the 2009 presidential election protests , the 2011–12 protests , the 2017–18 protests , the 2018–19 general strikes and protests ,

5014-580: The United States). He quotes a former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards , Mohsen Sazegara (also one of its founders), as saying, "Don't interfere. Leave these affairs to the Iranian people". Sazegara believes the US should call for democracy and freedom, and let Iranian opposition groups inside Iran, which are Reformists, take the lead, instead of attempting to create an opposition in exile. The Referendum movement calls in effect for

5123-741: The University of Tehran, graduating in 1975. Bashiriyeh continued his studies abroad, obtaining a master’s degree from the University of Essex and a Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool in political theories. He returned to Iran shortly after the Islamic revolution of 1979 and began teaching political science at the University of Tehran in 1982. He also taught at Imam Sadegh University in Tehran and Bagherol-'Olum University in Qom . Recognized for his scholarship in political sociology and democratization, Bashiriyeh became

5232-430: The armed forces and then among the clerics, while administering the major bonyads and seminaries of Qom and Mashhad. Having been Supreme Leader for three decades, Khamenei has been able to place many loyalists throughout Iran's major institutions, "building a system that serves and protects him". Former cleric Mehdi Khalaji and Saeid Golkar, describe Khamenei's system as having creating a "parallel structure" for each of

5341-672: The assassination had been ordered by him with knowledge of Khamenei and Rafsanjani. Iranian officials, however, have categorically denied their involvement. The then-Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri dismissed the ruling as political, untrue and unsubstantiated. The ruling led to a diplomatic crisis between the governments of Iran and several European countries, which lasted until November 1997. The accused assassins, Darabi and Rhayel, were finally released from prison on 10 December 2007 and deported back to their home countries. Khamenei has fired and reinstated presidential cabinet appointments. Iran's Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani ,

5450-425: The authoritarian elite around Khamenei , and too inflexible to circumvent the ban on political parties in Iran by creating and sustaining alternative forms of mobilisation." In addition, leaders of the reform movement lacked a clear and coherent strategy of establishing durable and extensive linkages with the public. Ironically, they became a victim of their electoral successes. The reform movement's "control of both

5559-533: The book and articles cost Akbar Ganji six years of imprisonment. Reformist candidates did remarkably well in the 1999 local elections and received 75% of the vote. The 18th of Tir (July 9) crisis, refers to a demonstration in Tehran University dormitory in reaction to closing Salam newspaper by the government. Demonstrations continued for a few days in most cities in Iran and in more than ninety-five countries worldwide. The demonstration ended in violence and

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5668-412: The broadcasting council and supreme judicial council, were not successful in practice and the leadership council would not do well for similar reasons. iii) People were accustomed to the leadership of an individual and a council of leaders was something unfamiliar to them. iv) An individual leader could act more decisively when dealing with critical and essential decisions and solving problems and crisis. On

5777-783: The cabinet by the supreme leader, and was also an opponent of "greater involvement of clerics in politics". In 2009, Ahmadinejad dismissed Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i , an opponent of Mashaei. In April 2011, another Intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi , resigned after being asked to by Ahmadinejad but was reinstated by the supreme leader within hours. Ahmadinejad declined to officially back Moslehi's reinstatement for two weeks and in protest engaged in an "11-day walkout" of cabinet meetings, religious ceremonies, and other official functions. Ahmadinejad's actions led to angry public attacks by clerics, parliamentarians and military commanders, who accused him of ignoring orders from

5886-651: The case of the Judiciary Council. Ebrahim Amini listed the summary of the reasons presented by the two sides. According to him, the opposers rejected the proposal because i) Evidence for Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist was true only for the guardianship of an individual and it was not clear who held the guardianship when there was a council. The guardianship of a council was not rooted in Hadiths and Islamic jurisprudence. ii) Previous council-type organizations, such as

5995-626: The classes of Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi and Ruhollah Khomeini . Like many other politically active clerics at the time, Khamenei was far more involved with politics than religious scholarship. Khamenei was a key figure in the Iranian Revolution in Iran and a close confidant of Ruhollah Khomeini . Since the founding of the Islamic Republic , Khamenei has held many government posts. Muhammad Sahimi claims that his political career began after

6104-431: The coalition of 18 groups and political parties of the reforms front but to anyone else who was a supporter of the 1997 reform programs of Khatami. The reforms front consists of several political parties, some of the most famous including the following: Some Iranian intellectuals were involved in establishing a foundation for the movement. Perhaps the most influential figure was Abdolkarim Soroush . For many years, he

6213-440: The condition that it be used to create only parts instead of a whole human. Also in 2002, after protests erupted in the capital, Khamenei intervened against the death sentence given to Hashem Aghajari for arguing that Muslims should re-interpret Islam rather than blindly follow leaders. Khamenei ordered a review of the sentence against Aghajari, which was later commuted to a prison sentence. Khamenei annually issues messages on

6322-471: The council include: Ali Khamenei Ali Hosseini Khamenei (born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989 . He previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's 35-year-long rule makes him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East, as well as

6431-513: The country's institutions (army, intelligence agencies, etc.) to keep those institutions weak. According to Vali Nasr of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies , "[Khamenei] [took] many of the powers of the presidency with him and [turned] the office of the supreme leader into the omnipotent overseer of Iran's political scene". In Nasr's view, Khamenei is an "unusual sort of dictator". Officials under Khamenei influence

6540-540: The country's various powers, and sometimes bickering, institutions, including "the parliament, the presidency, the judiciary, the Revolutionary Guards, the military, the intelligence services, the police agencies, the clerical elite, the Friday prayer leaders and much of the media", as well as various "nongovernmental foundations, organizations, councils, seminaries and business groups". Khamenei issues decrees and makes

6649-465: The courts would be reined in, although various political groups continued to be repressed by the government in the first half of the 1980s. Khamenei was one of Iran's leaders during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s and developed close ties with the now-powerful Revolutionary Guards . As president, he had a reputation for being deeply interested in the military, budget and administrative details. After

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6758-400: The day would lead to an uprising that would "break the back" of the hardliners, but instead the Islamic Republic "employed violence, intimidation, and sophisticated carrot-and-stick approach to suck the wind out of the demonstrations." In addition to a show of force and numerous checkpoints, the state used sophisticated jamming technology to black out satellite all the television feed and allowed

6867-517: The death of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Araki , the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom declared Khamenei a new marja. Several ayatollahs, however, declined to recognize him as such. Some of those dissidents clerics included Mohammad Shirazi , Hossein-Ali Montazeri , Hassan Tabatabai-Qomi , and Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari . In 1997, for example, Montazeri "questioned the powers of the Leader" and

6976-418: The death of a young Iranian citizen along with many casualties. At the time, it was Iran's biggest antigovernment demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic revolution. After attacking of the students of Tehran University by hardline vigilante group, Khatami delivered a speech three months later while defending of his reform programme and at the same time he insisted on the foundations of his government. He referred to

7085-474: The doctrine of velayat-e faqih [Islamic government] were imprisoned or otherwise cowed. Even as political debate blossomed, Iran's security services cracked down on religious and ethnic minorities. A number of the government's critics fell victim to murders traced later to the interior ministry. In 1999 police reacted to a peaceful demonstration for freer speech by invading Tehran University, beating and arresting hundreds of students and killing at least one. In

7194-582: The early 2000s. In 2007, Bashiriyeh was dismissed from his position at the University of Tehran amid a government-led purge of liberal academics. Known for his support of democratic ideals and secular political thought , Bashiriyeh’s views conflicted with Iran’s conservative, theocratic administration, which increasingly targeted intellectuals and reform-minded scholars. His work with the reformist movement and democratic organizations created further scrutiny, ultimately leading to his forced departure from academia in Iran. Following his expulsion, Bashiriyeh accepted

7303-526: The environment, foreign policy, and national planning in Iran. As supreme leader, Khamenei has either direct or indirect control over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, as well as the military and media. All candidates for the Assembly of Experts, the presidency and the Majlis (Parliament) are vetted by the Guardian Council , whose members are selected directly or indirectly by

7412-563: The final decisions on the economy, environment, foreign policy and everything else in Iran. Khamenei regularly meets with the president, cabinet members, head and officials of the judiciary branch, parliamentarians, among others, and tells them what to do. Khamenei has also fired and reinstated presidential cabinet appointments. Khamenei meets with foreign dignitaries, however, he does not travel overseas; if anyone wishes to see him, that person must travel to Iran. Apart from his time in Najaf as

7521-698: The following topics: Reason in Politics; Main Concerns of Political Philosophy; Theories of Tolerance; Philosophy of Justice; New Liberalism; The Frankfurt School and Habermas; The fate of Modernity; Ethical aspects of Art; Weber and Islam; Opposition in Democratic and Authoritarian Regimes; Consensus and Conflict; Anarchist Ideals in Political Development; Political Culture in the Pahlavi Period; Civil Society after

7630-410: The formation of over 350 thousand jobs expecting a total of 700 thousands for the upcoming three years. Mukhber also cited a sum total grant of 2.21 trillion rials of Qard al-Hasan , interest-free loans, to 41 thousands families in poor regions of the country. He also revealed plans of gradual sell-off of Setad profitable businesses in the stock market with the aim of transferring their ownership into

7739-432: The government itself and tried to overthrow the Islamic Republic. The protests, in general, lasted up to several months. Masoud Pezeshkian was elected in a special election after the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi , who died in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024. He secured nearly 16.4 million of the more than 30 million votes cast, beating his main rival Saeed Jalili who received approximately 13.5 million in

7848-459: The hands of Iranian people. He also envisioned the construction and delivery of 17 thousand housing units to families in poor regions of Iran by 2018. In mid-August 2009, a group of unnamed former reformist lawmakers appealed to the Assembly of Experts – the constitutional body charged with electing and (in theory) supervising and removing the Leader – to investigate Leader Ali Khamenei's qualification to rule. A week later another anonymous letter

7957-478: The head of committee responsible for revising the Constitution, asking Khomeini's viewpoint regarding the 'marjaʿiyyat criteria, Khomeini said: "From the very beginning, I believed and insisted that there is no need for the requirements of marjaʿiyyat (authority in jurisprudence). A pious mujtahid (jurist-intellectual), who is approved by the esteemed Assembly of Experts ( Majlis-i Khobregan ), will suffice." In

8066-558: The holding of (rare) outdoor pop concerts to draw young people away from the demonstrations. Dartar-e Tahkim-e-Vahdat also hurt its cause by calling for foreigners, the UN ,- to assist it against the government. In the Iranian parliamentary elections, 2000 to elect the 6th parliament, reformist enjoyed a majority (69.25%), or 26.8 million, of the 38.7 million voters who cast ballots in the February 18, 2000 first round. Ultimately reformists won 195 of

8175-452: The issue of national security; but in most part because large numbers of women, college students, and other members of the salaried middle class stayed home. Turnout in the Majles elections fell below 51% - one of the worst since the revolution. In Tehran, it fell to 28%. The reform movement has been lamented as "too divided to establish its own political authority, too naïve about the tenacity of

8284-549: The key terms in public discourse: emperialism ( imperialism ), mostazafen ( poor ), jehad ( jihad ), mojahed ( mujahideen ), shahed (martyrdom), khish (roots), enqelab (revolution) and Gharbzadegi (Western intoxication), to some modern terms and concepts like: demokrasi ( democracy ), moderniyat (modernity), azadi (liberty), barabari (equality), jam'eh-e madani ( civil society ), hoquq-e beshar ( human rights ), mosharekat-e siyasi (political participation), Shahrvandi ( citizenship ), etc. The core of

8393-412: The leader's intervention or resign, and on 8 May he "apparently bowed" to the reinstatement, welcoming back Moslehi to a cabinet meeting. The events have been said to have "humiliated and weakened" Ahmadinejad. However, the president denied that there had been any rift between the two, and according to the semiofficial Fars News Agency , he stated that his relationship with the supreme leader "is that of

8502-448: The majlis (parliament) much of the president's reforming legislation was vetoed by the Council of Guardians , a committee of clerics appointed by the supreme leader to ensure that laws conform with Islamic precepts. Saeed Hajjarian , the main theorist behind the movement, declared in 2003 that "the reform movement is dead. Long live the reform movement". The victory of conservatives in

8611-409: The mujtahids of the Assembly. Since Khamenei was not a marja' at the time—which the Iranian constitution required—he was named as the temporary Supreme Leader. Later, the constitution was amended to remove that requirement and the Assembly of Experts reconvened on 6 August 1989, to reconfirm Khamenei with 60 votes out of 64 present. On 29 April 1989, responding to the letter of Ayatollah Meshkini ,

8720-406: The new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on 4 June 1989 . Initially, some members of the Assembly of Experts proposed the idea of a leadership council. Various lists were proposed and Khamenei was named in all of them. For instance, a council of three members, Ali Meshkini , Mousavi Ardebili and Khamenei, was proposed to lead Iran. According to Rafsanjani, he and Khamenei were against

8829-672: The occasion of Hajj for all Muslims (pilgrims) in Hajj. He commenced to issue such messages since the start of his responsibility as the supreme leader of Iran (1989). He continually invites all Muslims to Tawhid , and afterward expresses the significance of Hajj in spiritual/social life. He also asks the Muslims to be aware of what he considers "the conspiracy of the enemies" by having a right comprehension and advises them to "not be deceived by them". So far, Iran's supreme leader has issued 32 messages (since 1989). A part of his last message (6 August 2019)

8938-460: The other hand, the supporters of the proposal believed that: i) At the time, there were no Faqih equal to Khomeini or even two or three levels lower than him so that he could fulfill the expectation of people. ii) In the case of a council of leaders, the members could compensate each other, if any of them had some shortage in a field. Finally, 45 members voted against the leadership council proposal while more than 20 people were in favor of it and

9047-484: The political and organisational network to back it up" and inviting a brutal crackdown, with "no means on the ground to resist it". On 8 November 2015, the establishment of the council was announced. It oversees the Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front , which its rotating head serves as the deputy head of the council for policymaking. Moderation and Development Party joined the council in April 2017. Some members of

9156-401: The poor regions of the country, creating jobs and improving the well-being of people in these regions reflecting the top concerns of Iran's Supreme Leader, Khamenei for the Iranian society. He states that 85 percent of Setad's charitable works occur in poor Iran regions. He cited the construction of several hundred schools, mosques and hussainiyas , as well as direct and indirect contributions to

9265-611: The position of marja due to old age and illness. This was described as the first time in history a marja has ever resigned from his position. He called on his followers to follow Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran as "the best person for the leadership of our people and removing the aggressors". Khamenei's era has differed from that of his predecessor. He has, however, continued Khomeini's policy of "balancing one group against another, making sure that no single side gains too much power." But lacking Khomeini's charisma and clerical standing, he has developed personal networks, first inside

9374-496: The presidency and parliament from 2000 to 2004 made it look inept and a part of the corrupt system in the eyes of many Iranians." BBC journalist Jonathan Beale reports that since secularism is banned in Iran, it is an ideology that is mostly followed by political organizations among the Iranian diaspora or by many of the anti-sharia political parties in exile that are secular. These parties promote regime change, most often with foreign aid and military intervention (particularity from

9483-405: The proposal was rejected. After the assembly rejected the idea of a Leadership Council, Khamenei was elected Leader by 60 of the 74 members present with Grand Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani receiving the remaining 14 votes. Although he eventually accepted the post, Khamenei made protestations of his unworthiness, saying "my nomination should make us all cry tears of blood", and debated with

9592-410: The proposal, while Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi  [ fa ] and Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini were in favor of it. Supporters of the council proposal believed that having a council would produce a higher degree of unity in society and more positive characteristics would be found in a council. In contrast, the opposers believed that an individual leader was more efficient according to past experiences in

9701-598: The rapidly rising political and economic influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards , whose top leaders are directly appointed by Khamenei and have always been publicly obedient to him; (4) the political disengagement of Iran's young population ...; and (5) most significant[ly], the 2005 presidential election, which saw hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad trounce Khamenei's chief rival ... Hashemi Rafsanjani ... According to Christopher Dickey , to consolidate his power base, Khamenei has developed close relations with

9810-424: The recorder began whistling, then suddenly exploded. "A gift of Furqan Group to the Islamic Republic" was written on the inner wall of the tape recorder. Khamenei's treatment took several months and his arm, vocal cords and lungs were seriously injured. He was permanently injured, losing the use of his right arm. In 1981, after the assassination of Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Khamenei was elected President of Iran by

9919-414: The reform movement is said to be made up of Islamic leftists disqualified from running for office as they were purged and generally disempowered by Islamic conservatives following the death of Imam Khomeini in 1989. Islamic leftists turned reformists include Abdolkarim Soroush , Saeed Hajjarian , Akbar Ganji , Ali Akbar Mohtashami-Pur , Ebrahim Asgharzadeh , Mohsen Mirdamadi , Mir-Hossein Mousavi , and

10028-572: The reformation of system from within with holding two elements of Islamic and republic. In 2003, Iran's leading pro-democracy student group, the Daftar-e Tahkim-e-Vahdat called for a national day of protest on the 18th of Tir to commemorate the original 1999 protest. At least one observer believes it was the failure of this protest that "delivered a fatal blow to the reform movement." According to journalist Afshin Molavi , many Iranians hoped

10137-533: The resignation of Hussein-Ali Montazeri from the post. He was briefly the vice Minister of National Defence from late July to 6 November 1979 and as a supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. He also went to the battlefield as a representative of the parliament's defense commission. Khamenei narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the Mujahedin-e Khalq when a bomb, concealed in

10246-456: The rise of the 2nd of Khordad movement, there was an attempted assassination of Saeed Hajjarian , the main strategist of the reformist camp. In March 2000, he was shot in the face on the doorstep of Tehran 's city council by a gunman who fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice. The bullet entered through his left cheek and lodged in his neck. He was not killed but was "badly paralyzed" for some time. During his coma, groups of young Iranians kept

10355-468: The second-longest-serving Iranian leader of the last century after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi . Khamenei is a marja' , a title given to the highest level of religious cleric in Twelver Shi'sm . According to his official website, Khamenei was arrested six times before being exiled for three years during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In June 1981, after the Iranian revolution and the overthrow of

10464-474: The security and military establishment while also expanding the bureaucracy inside the government and around his Beit Rahbari compound. Writing in The Daily Telegraph , Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat observed: "The ayatollah likes to cultivate an image of austerity but receives major commissions from the Iranian oil and arms industries and there have been regular claims that he and his son have amassed

10573-460: The shah, he was the target of an attempted assassination that paralyzed his right arm. Khamenei was one of Iran's leaders during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, and developed close ties with the Revolutionary Guards , which he controls, and whose commanders are elected and dismissed by him. The Revolutionary Guards have been deployed to suppress opposition to him. Khamenei served as

10682-424: The state's future, questioning people's judgment and causing public outrage. In 2024 he claimed that while speaking to his military he had been saying what words God put in his tongue. Khamenei has reportedly issued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islam. The fatwa was cited in an official statement by the Iranian government at an August 2005 meeting of

10791-466: The supreme leader. Conservative opponents in parliament launched an "impeachment drive" against him, four websites with ties to Ahmadinejad reportedly were "filtered and blocked", and several people "said to be close" to the president and Mashaei (such as Abbas Amirifar and Mohammed Sharif Malekzadeh ) were arrested on charges of being "magicians" and invoking djinns . On 6 May 2011, it was reported that Ahmadinejad had been given an ultimatum to accept

10900-489: The third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989, while becoming a close ally of the first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini . Shortly before his death, Khomeini had a disagreement with the heir he had chosen— Hussein Ali Montazeri —so there was no agreed-on successor when Khomeini died. The Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei as the next supreme leader on 4 June 1989, at age 50. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , Khamenei

11009-468: The time of the Islamic Revolution. The movement began with the May 23, 1997, surprise victory of Mohammad Khatami , "a little known cleric", to the presidency on with almost 70% of the vote. Khatami is regarded as Iran's first reformist president, since the focus of his campaign was on the rule of law , democracy and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process. Very soon after

11118-476: The way, primarily Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains decision authority on all major state issues. The Reformists' Party often struggles with realizing its agenda as described by The Economist magazine: Dozens of newspapers opened during the Khatami period, only for many to be shut down on one pretext or another by the judiciary. Clerics who took advantage of the new atmosphere to question

11227-776: Was Sayyid Hossein Tafreshi, a descendant of the Aftasi Sayyids, whose lineage supposedly reached to Sultan ul-Ulama Ahmad, known as Sultan Sayyid, a grandchild of Shia fourth Imam, Ali al-Sajjad . Khamenei's education began at the age of four, by learning the Quran at Maktab ; he spent his basic and advanced levels of seminary studies at the hawza of Mashhad, under mentors such as Sheikh Hashem Qazvini and Ayatollah Milani . Then, he went to Najaf , Iraq , in 1957, but soon returned to Mashhad due to his father's unwillingness to let him stay there. In 1958, he settled in Qom where he attended

11336-634: Was born into a Sufi family in Hamedan, Iran, which influenced his early perspectives on religion and politics. He resides in the United States with his wife and two children, who joined him during his relocation from Iran. During the last 15 years he has published 35 articles in Persian language journals published in Iran. These essays have all been assembled in Reason in Politics: 35 Essays on Political Philosophy and Sociology (referred to above). These articles deal with

11445-403: Was different in "both style and substance" to the fatwa on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) by Gad El-Hak Ali Gad El-Hak of Egypt's Al-Azhar University in the late 1980s which permitted ART (IVF and similar technologies) as long there is no third-party donation (of sperm, eggs, embryos, or uteruses). In 2002, Khamenei ruled that human stem cell research was permissible under Islam, with

11554-444: Was issued "calling Iran's leader a dictator and demanding his removal", this one by a group of Iranian clerics. The letters were called a blow to Khamenei's "status as a neutral arbiter and Islamic figurehead" and an "unprecedented challenge to the country's most powerful man" though not a blow to his actual power as a leader. The New York Times reports "the phrase 'death to Khamenei' has begun appearing in graffiti on Tehran walls,

11663-535: Was subsequently punished for his comments with the closure of his religious school, an attack on his office in Qom, and a period of house arrest. The table below lists some of the incumbent senior officeholders in Iran directly appointed by the supreme leader (sorted by date of appointment): Khamenei developed a cult of personality ; with supporters describing him as a "divine gift to mankind" and in which Khamenei critics are persecuted. According to Karim Sadjadpour of

11772-416: Was the man Khomeini had chosen as his successor. Khamenei has been head of the servants of Astan Quds Razavi since 14 April 1979. As supreme leader, Khamenei is the most powerful political authority in the Islamic Republic. He is the head of state of Iran , the commander-in-chief of its armed forces , and can issue decrees and make the final decisions on the main policies of the government in economy,

11881-584: Was the only voice publicly criticizing the regime's policies. His regular lectures at Tehran University used to enjoy the attendance of many of the Iranian students who later generated the 2nd of Khordad movement. Many famous figures of the movement belong to the Soroush circle. However, at the rise of 2nd of Khordad movement, Saeed Hajjarian acted as the main theorist behind the movement and the main strategist in Khatami 's camp. The movement has been described as changing

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