Iran's Islamic Republic After Khamenei
Abstract
During the last forty years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been on the fringe of the international scene. Nowadays, due to its geographical position, its oil reserves, and its potential economy, Iran is too important to be ignored. In spite of that, Iran remains obscure for the western countries. It is not a complete democracy, neither an absolute autocracy. Its form of government is a mix of elected structures, unelected religious structures, and parallel structures in constant tension among them. Moreover, the relative power of every position is augmented by the bond of patronage that the individual fitting the position has. Although the Supreme Leader sits at the top of this complex structure, he does not enjoy absolute power but is limited by the popular support. Due to his age and health situation, in the near future, the Supreme Leader will yield his power putting this delicate structure under further stress. Every time the future of the regime has been at stake, the Islamic Republic has given up the Islamic tenets and embraced the raison d'etat in order to survive. Notwithstanding the lack of a charismatic figure able to steer the succession, the Islamic republic will find the way to survive at the cost of its Islamic values.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 07, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1177110
Entities
People
- Giovanni Lanna
Organizations
- Marine Corps University