Supreme Leader of Iran

Since the 1989 amendments to the Constitution of Iran, any jurist of Islamic law can be elected Supreme Leader. ==Incorporation in the constitution==

1979 In March 1979, shortly after Ruhollah Khomeini's return from exile and the overthrow of Iran's monarchy, a national referendum was held throughout Iran with the question "Islamic Republic, yes or no?". Although some groups objected to the wording and choice and boycotted the referendum, 98% of those voting, voted "yes". According to Francis Fukuyama, the 1979 constitution is a "hybrid" of "theocratic and democratic elements" with much of it based on the ideas Khomeini presented in his published book Islamic Government (Hukumat-e Islami). The supreme leader does not receive a salary. 1989 Shortly before Khomeini's death, a change was made in the constitution of Iran allowing a lower ranking Shia cleric to become the supreme leader. Khomeini had a falling out with his would-be successor Hussein-Ali Montazeri, who disapproved of human rights abuses by the Islamic Republic such as the mass execution of political prisoners in late summer and early autumn 1988. Montazeri was demoted as a marja and Khomeini chose a new successor, a relatively low-ranking member of the clergy, Ali Khamenei. However Article 109 stipulated that the leader be "a source of imitation" (Marja-e taqlid). Khomeini wrote a letter to the president of the Assembly for Revising the Constitution, which was in session at the time, making the necessary arrangements to designate Khamene'i as his successor, and Article 109 was revised accordingly. In this letter, he supposedly "emphasised that he had always been of the opinion that the marja'iyat was not a requirement for the office of leader". ==Functions, powers and duties==

, 2017 Shura Council Ismail Haniyeh and leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah, July 2024 Duties and Powers given to the supreme leader by the Constitution, decrees and other laws are: • Delineation of the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in consultation with the Nation's Expediency Discernment Council. • Supervision over the proper execution of the general policies of the systems. • Resolving conflicts between the three branches of the government • Issuing decrees for national referendums. • Supreme command over the Armed Forces. • Declaration of war and peace, and the mobilization of the armed forces. • Ability to veto laws passed by the parliament. • Appointment, dismissal, and acceptance of resignation of: • the members of Expediency Discernment Council. • the members of Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. • two personal representatives to the Supreme National Security Council. • Resolving differences between the three wings of the armed forces and regulation of their relations. • Resolving the problems, which cannot be solved by conventional methods, through the Nation's Expediency Discernment Council. • Signing the decree formalizing the elections in Iran for the President of the Republic by the people. • Dismissal of the President of the Republic, with due regard for the interests of the country, after the Supreme Court holds him guilty of the violation of his constitutional duties, or after an impeachment vote of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) testifying to his incompetence on the basis of Article 89 of the Constitution. • Pardoning or reducing the sentences of convicts, within the framework of Islamic criteria, on a recommendation (to that effect) from the head of the judiciary. The supreme leader may delegate part of his duties and powers to another person. • Confirms decisions of the Supreme National Security Council. • Control over Special Clerical Court. ==Mandate and status==

The supreme leader of Iran is elected by the Assembly of Experts (), which is also the only government body in charge of choosing and dismissing supreme leaders of Iran. The supreme leader is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the supervisor of the three branches of the state, the Judiciary, the Legislature, and the Executive. He oversees, appoints, or inaugurates, and can dismiss the following offices: Additional information: • Inaugurates the President and may also together with a two-thirds majority of the Parliament impeach him. • The 6 Faqih members of the 12 members of the Guardian Council, the other 6 are chosen by the Parliament out of jurist candidates nominated by the Chief Justice of Iran who is in turn appointed by the supreme leader. • Can delegate representatives to all branches of government, which as of 2018 were around 2000 representatives. • The Imams of Friday Prayer of each provincial capital (with the advice of all the Marja') for life Iran's regional policy is directly controlled by the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' task limited to protocol and ceremonial occasions. All of Iran's ambassadors to Arab countries, for example, are chosen by the Quds Force, which directly reports to the supreme leader. In 2016, 166 candidates were approved by the Guardians, out of 801 who applied to run for the office. Members of the Guardian Council are half appointed unilaterally by the supreme leader. Half are subject to confirmation by the Majlis, after being appointed by the head of the Iranian judiciary (Chief Justice of Iran), who is himself appointed by the supreme leader of Iran. There have been cases where the Guardian Council repealed its ban on particular people, after being directed to do so by Khamenei. The supreme leader is legally considered "inviolable", with Iranians being routinely punished for questioning or insulting him. ==Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (Velayat-e faqih)==

met with Hajj authorities, 2018 , second supreme leader of Iran, and his claim of "speaking with God" The constitution of Iran combines concepts of both democracy and theocracy, theocracy in the form of Khomeini's concept of vilayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist), as expressed in the Islamic Republic. According to Ayatollah Khomeini, the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist was not restricted to orphans or mental incompetents, but applied to everyone in absence of the twelfth Imam. Prior to the revolution, observant Shia Muslims selected their own leading faqih to emulate (known as a ''Marja'-i taqlid'') according to their own decision making. The "congregation rather than the hierarchy decided how prominent the ayatollah was" thus allowing the public to possibly limit the influence of the Faqih. After the revolution Shia Muslims, or at least Iranian Shia, were commanded to show allegiance to the current vali-e faghih, Guardian Jurist or supreme leader. In this new system, the jurist oversaw all governmental affairs. The complete control exercised by the Faqih was not to be limited to the Iranian Revolution because the revolution and its Leader had international aspirations. As the constitution of the Islamic Republic states, it According to author Seyyed Vali Nasr, Khomeini appealed to the masses, during the pre-1979 period, by referring to them as the oppressed and with charisma and political ability was tremendously successful. He became a very popular role model for Shiites, and hoped for the Iranian Revolution to be the first step to a much larger Islamic revolution, transcending Shia Islam, in the same way that Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky had wanted their revolution to be a world revolution, not just a Russian one. ==List of supreme leaders==

Timeline ==Deputy Supreme Leader==

The role of the Iranian Deputy Supreme Leader was eventually incorporated into the Authority of the Supreme Leader. • Grand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri (15 July 1985 – 30 April 1989) During the presidency of Hassan Rouhani and amid longstanding rumors of Khamenei's declining health, it was recommended to Khamenei to reestablish the office of Deputy Supreme Leader to better facilitate the transition to new leadership. ==2026 Interim Leadership Council==

After the Assassination of Ali Khamenei, following Article 111 of the Islamic Republic constitution, a Provisional Leadership Council took over Khamenei's role, pending election of a new supreme leader. The Interim Leadership Council, as established on 1 March 2026, consisted of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and Alireza Arafi of the Guardian Council. ==See also==