Supreme Leader of Iran

The supreme leader of Iran is the highest political and religious authority in the country. This role is more powerful than the president, who is officially the head of state. The supreme leader has control over the armed forces, judiciary, state radio and television, and important groups like the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council.

According to the Iranian Constitution, the supreme leader watches over the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and decides the main policies of the country. The current supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, makes final decisions on many important issues such as the economy, foreign policy, and education.

The position of supreme leader was created in 1979 by the Constitution of Iran based on ideas by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It is a job for life. Originally, the supreme leader needed to be a very high-ranking religious leader, but this was changed in 1989 so that the person only needed to be a scholar of Islam.

Iran has had three supreme leaders. Khomeini was the first, serving from 1979 until his death in 1989. Khamenei followed him and served until his death in 2026. Since 2026, Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei has been the supreme leader. The Assembly of Experts is responsible for choosing, watching, and possibly removing the supreme leader, though in practice they have not challenged any decisions made by the leaders.

Requirements

Since changes were made to Iran's rules in 1989, any expert in Islamic law can be chosen to be the Supreme Leader.

Incorporation in the constitution

1979

In March 1979, after Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile and the monarchy in Iran was overthrown, a vote was held across Iran asking people if they wanted an Islamic Republic. Many people voted "yes". Following this, the old constitution from 1906 was replaced with a new one for an Islamic state, which was approved by another vote in December 1979.

The new constitution mixed ideas from both religious and democratic government. It was based on Khomeini's book called Islamic Government. In this book, Khomeini said that government should follow Islamic law, and a leading Islamic teacher should guide the people.

The constitution said that Islamic teachers should play a big role in government. It also explained the role of the supreme leader, who is very important in Iran.

1989

Before Khomeini passed away, the constitution was changed to allow a less experienced Islamic teacher to become the supreme leader. Khomeini had disagreements with someone he had chosen as his successor. Instead, he chose Ali Khamenei to be the new leader. The rules about who could be leader were adjusted to fit this change.

Functions, powers and duties

The supreme leader of Iran has many important jobs and powers. They help decide the main plans for the country and watch to make sure they are done right. The supreme leader can also solve problems between the different parts of the government and has control over the country's military.

The supreme leader can choose and replace leaders of many important groups, including the military and the country's courts. They also have the power to approve or stop laws made by the parliament and can pardon people who have been convicted of crimes. The supreme leader plays a big role in keeping the country running smoothly and making sure everyone follows the rules.

Mandate and status

The supreme leader of Iran is chosen by a special group called the Assembly of Experts. This group is made up of people elected by Iranian citizens.

The supreme leader is the top leader of the country's military and watches over the main parts of the government, including the courts, the lawmakers, and the leaders of the government. He also has a say in who holds many important jobs in Iran.

The supreme leader's office controls Iran's policies in other countries, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles formal events. Ambassadors to certain countries are chosen by a special military group that reports directly to the supreme leader.

According to the constitution, all supreme leaders after Ayatollah Khomeini are chosen by the Assembly of Experts. Candidates for this group must be approved by the Guardian Council, which is partly chosen by the supreme leader himself.

Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (Velayat-e faqih)

Main article: Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist

The constitution of Iran mixes ideas of democracy and theocracy, following a concept called the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist. This idea says that special religious leaders should guide the country because they know the most about Islamic teachings.

Before a big change in Iran, followers of Islam chose their own religious leaders to follow. After this change, people were asked to support one main religious leader who would guide the whole country. This leader has a big role in making sure the country's rules follow Islamic teachings. The goal was to create a society based on these teachings and to help others around the world who might also want to follow similar ideas.

List of supreme leaders

Timeline

Deputy Supreme Leader

Main article: Deputy Supreme Leader of Iran

The job of Deputy Supreme Leader in Iran was added to the role of the Supreme Leader.

• Grand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri (15 July 1985 – 30 April 1989)

When Hassan Rouhani was president, some people thought it would be good to bring back the Deputy Supreme Leader job to help make the change to new leadership easier.

2026 Interim Leadership Council

Main article: Interim Leadership Council

After the Assassination of Ali Khamenei, a group called the Provisional Leadership Council took over his duties. This happened because the Iranian Constitution, in Article 111 of the Islamic Republic constitution, says what to do in such situations. On 1 March 2026, the Interim Leadership Council was formed. It included the President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and Alireza Arafi from the Guardian Council. This council managed things until a new supreme leader could be chosen.