The supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, officially styled as the leader of the Islamic Revolution or the leadership of the Islamic jurist by the Iranian Constitution, is the highest political and religious authority in Iran, taking precedence above the president who is the country's de jure head of state. The armed forces, judiciary, state radio and television, and other key government organizations such as the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council are subject to the supreme leader."Who's in Charge?" by Ervand Abrahamian London Review of Books, 6 November 2008
According to articles 57 and 110 of the Iranian Constitution, the supreme leader supervises the activities of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and delineates the general policies of the Islamic Republic. The second supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, issued decrees and made the final decisions on the economy, the environment, foreign policy, education, national planning, and other aspects of governance in Iran. Khamenei also made the final decisions on the amount of transparency in elections, and during his rule dismissed and reinstated presidential cabinet appointees.
The office was established by the Constitution of Iran in 1979, pursuant to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's concept of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist,Article 5, Iranian Constitution and is a lifetime appointment. Originally the constitution required the supreme leader to be Marja'-e taqlid, the highest-ranking cleric in the religious laws of Usuli Twelver Shia Islam; however, in 1989 the constitution was amended and simply asked for Islamic "scholarship" to allow the supreme leader to be a lower-ranking cleric.Moin, Baqer, Khomeini, (2001), p.293"Article 109 [Leadership Qualifications] (1) Following are the essential qualifications and conditions for the Leader: a. Scholarship, as required for performing the functions of the religious leader in different fields.
The style "Supreme Leader" () is commonly used as a sign of respect although the Constitution designates them simply as "Leader" ().
According to the constitution (Article 111), the Assembly of Experts is tasked with electing (following Ayatollah Khomeini), supervising, and dismissing the supreme leader. In practice, the Assembly has never been known to challenge or otherwise publicly oversee any of the supreme leader's decisions (all of its meetings and notes are strictly confidential)."Iran Announces Second Extension of Voting," Reuters, 23 October 1998. quoted in Members of the Assembly are elected by people in elections, and are approved by bodies (the Guardian Council) whose members are appointed by the supreme leader or appointed by an individual (Chief Justice of Iran) appointed by the supreme leader.
The United Nations list of Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Ministers for Foreign Affairs of all Member States lists the Iranian president as the official de jure head of state and government, rather than the supreme leader himself.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has in its history had three supreme leaders: Khomeini, who held the position from 1979 until his death in 1989; Ali Khamenei, who held the position from Khomeini's death until his assassination in 2026; and Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei, who has held the position since 2026.
Requirements 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?".Duality by Design: The Iranian Electoral System By Yasmin Alem Although some groups objected to the wording and choice and boycotted the referendum, 98% of those voting, voted "yes". Following this landslide victory, the constitution of Iran of 1906 was declared invalid. A new constitution for an Islamic state was created and ratified by referendum during the first week of December in 1979.
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). In the work, Khomeini argued that government must be run in accordance with traditional Islamic sharia, and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist (faqih) must provide political "guardianship" (wilayat or velayat) over the people. The leading jurist were known as Marja'.
The Constitution stresses the importance of the clergy in government, with Article 4 stating that and the importance of the supreme leader. Article 5 states
Article 107 in the constitution mentions Khomeini by name and praises him as the most learned and talented leader for emulation (marja-i taqlid). The responsibilities of the supreme leader are vaguely stated in the constitution, thus any 'violation' by the supreme leader would be dismissed almost immediately. As the rest of the clergy governed affairs on a daily basis, the supreme leader is capable of mandating a new decision as per the concept of Vilayat-e Faqih.
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 RepublicKeddie, Nikki R.; Yann Richard (2003). Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. p. 260 . 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).Schirazi, Asghar, The Constitution of Iran: politics and the state in the Islamic Republic / by Asghar Schirazi, London; New York: I.B. Tauris, 1997 p.73-75
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
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. Can delegate representatives to all branches of government. Ali Khamenei had around 2000 representatives. the six fuqaha' of the Guardian Council. the supreme judicial authority of the country. ministers of defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, and science. the head of the radio and television network of the Islamic Republic of Iran. the chief of the joint staff. the chief commander of the armed forces of the country the highest commanders of the armed forces. Can dismiss and reinstate ministers. 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.§ 5 of Article 176 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: Organization Branches Activity Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)Two personal representative. Body for national security and foreign policy discussions, including nuclear policy.Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forcesthe Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran the Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army the Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy the Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force the Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps the Commander of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps the Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps the Commander of the IRGC Quds Force the Commander of the Basij Organization the Commander of the Law Enforcement CommandIran's conventional military, also known as Artesh, is primarily focused on defending the country from foreign threats. The IRGC was established to protect the revolution and is geared towards asymmetric warfare and less traditional duties of the armed forces. The Law Enforcement Command is the uniformed police force in Iran.Chief Justice of IranHead of the Judiciary Branch (usually a member of the Assembly of Experts) for a term of 8 yearsDirector of Islamic Republic of Iran BroadcastingIrans national news broadcasterSupreme Council of the Cultural RevolutionBody that works "to ensure that the education and culture of Iran remains Islamic."Expediency Discernment CouncilSet up to resolve conflicts between the Guardian Council and the Parliament. Also advises the supreme leaderHead of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans AffairsNominated by the President and approved by the Leader. 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