The Real Power in Iran: Khamenei
Akbar Ganji argues for Foreign Affairs Magazine that the real power in Iran is not Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, nor any other politician; rather, the real power in Tehran is Supreme Religious Leader Ali Khamenei. Khamenei is, Ganji argues, the one who truly decides about all important issues: foreign policy, nuclear energy, oppression in Iran, the economy… everything.
As such, Ganji states, it is silly for us to pretend that everything will change for the better in Iran at the moment Ahmadinejad loses elections.
Rather, it is likely that things will roughly remain the way they are until Khamenei dies.
What makes Ganji’s article worth your time is that he is Iranian himself, but was forced to flee his country due to government persecution. His writings have been banned in the country formerly known as Persia, because he was considered to be too critical of its religious leaders.
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