| Summary/Abstract |
The Islamic Republic of Iran is a state divided against itself. Since
its inception in 1979, it has been de¼ned by tension between the
president, who heads its elected government, and the supreme
leader, who leads the parallel state institutions that embody modern
Iran’s revolutionary Islamist ideals. The current supreme leader, Ali
Khamenei, served as president from 1981 to 1989. During his tenure as
president, he clashed over matters of policy, personnel, and ideology
with the supreme leader at the time, Ruhollah Khomeini, the charismatic
cleric who had spearheaded the Iranian Revolution. After Khomeini
died, in 1989, Khamenei was appointed supreme leader and went on to
do battle with a long line of presidents more moderate than himself.
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