Khamenei has been Iran’s supreme leader for 35 years. So far, no one in the country has been able to get past him. In addition to the escalating conflict with Israel, the 85-year-old is also facing a power struggle for his successor.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads the final prayer at the end of Ramadan. Thousands of people cheer him in the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran. “We have come for love of the leader, peace be upon the Holy Prophet,” they shout.
In fact, Khamenei is something like an Iranian pope: he is the final authority in the country on both religious and political issues. He is the spiritual leader and therefore also the supreme leader. And he also appoints the commander of the important Revolutionary Guard.
Revolutionary Guard as a state within a state
It maintains its own army and is something like a state within the state of Iran. And it, Khamenei said at a Revolutionary Guard event, is a “theocracy” with a great future. The state’s constitution is “divine” and will survive at the hands of “this glorious nation.” “God willing, this tree will deepen and strengthen its roots and whoever opposes it will be destroyed before your eyes.” “Tree” refers to the regime that Khamenei has led for 35 years.
Since an attack on him in 1981, he has no longer been able to move his right arm. Because of this and because of his old age, he sometimes appears mild, not old, in his performances. In truth, it hasn’t lost any of its edge over the decades.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is both religious and political leader in Iran.
Khamenei plays that economic problems down
Khamenei insults the US government as clowns and calls the West stupid and idiotic for expecting Iran to limit its arms program. When the regime bloodily suppressed demonstrations in the country in 2022 following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, Khamenei did not intervene.
On the contrary: For him, there is a conspiracy by foreign powers behind the protests. And Khamenei downplays the sometimes major economic problems of the people in his own country: “I predict a great future for Iran.”
Sometimes there are “difficulties”, people become hopeless and “encounter undesirable phenomena”. “But they can appear anywhere.” This also happened in the times of the Holy Prophet and before.
Iran shot Ukrainian Passenger aircraft away
Elsewhere, common wisdom is not enough. At the beginning of 2020, Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after take-off from Tehran. All 176 people on board die.
A few days later, a news anchor said the plane was mistaken for an enemy aircraft. It is Khamenei who ordered this to be admitted publicly. The request for an apology, however, comes from incumbent President Hassan Rouhani.
Who could be Khamenei’s successor?
A few years ago, Rouhani was discussed as a possible successor to Khamenei. But the Revolutionary Guard continues to gain power. Reform-oriented people then claim that instead of Rouhani, Khamenei should be succeeded by his eldest son Mojtaba at some point. However, the favorite is now likely to be the incumbent President Raisi. He has the support of the Revolutionary Guard.
Speculation that Iran’s escalating conflict with Israel also has something to do with the internal power struggle and the sooner or later question of Khamenei’s successor is unfounded. The powerful in Iran are united in rejecting their declared arch-enemy Israel.
Uwe Lueb, ARD Istanbul, tagesschau, April 17, 2024 8:32 a.m