Nature of Government - Political Structure

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    I personally find Iran's nature of government a little hard to understand. So Ahmadinejad is the dictator... But then who is Hosseini-Kamenei? What are their political responsibilities? And why are there so many Assemblies, anyways?

     Don't worry, I will try to clarify here how this country really works politically.

     The Islamic Republic of Iran is governed based on the 1979 Constitution. Above all the other factions of political power, there is the chief of state, a supreme leader who holds perpetual power unless removed by the Assembly of Experts. It is the chief of state’s duty to establish a supervise all domestic, foreign, and security policies for the country in concession with other political bodies such as the National Security Council, the National Assembly, and the Expediency Council. The chief of state has the final say in all affairs. Currently, Ali Hoseini-Khamenei holds the position of the country’s supreme leader. Apart from him, Iran also counts on the head of government, who is elected by universal suffrage to a 4-year term. President Mahmud Ahmadinejad currently holds the position as head of government. Once appointed, the head of government is in charge of supervising executive affairs as well as the Council of Ministers, coordinating government decisions, and selecting government policies to be established before the Majles—the National Assembly.

Ahmadinejad, head of government

The supreme leader, Khamenei

     Judging from these characteristics, one could categorize Iran as a theocratic republic. This means that the leader of the state is regarded as divine, ruling in the name of a god. This leader, in turn, is elected by the people of the state. Khamenei, according to policy analyst Karim Sadjadpour, was appointed supreme leader, after a “landslide election” (Sadjadpour, 2); thus making Iran a republic.
     Stay tuned for more information regarding the Iranian History including the Revolution and the Shah.

Sources:

"Iran: Government." GlobalEDGE. Michigan State University, Web. 5 March. 2013. <http://globaledge.msu.edu/Countries/Iran/Government>.

Sadjadpour, Karim. Reading Khamenei: The World View of Iran's Most Powerful Leader. Washington D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2008. Print.