Iran’s Theocratic Leadership
The recent violence in Iran has exposed the political fault lines in that society—especially the growing rift between hard-line conservatives and their reformist opponents. The leadership of the pro-Ahmadinejad faction of the Iranian government, which is dominated by conservative clerics, is responsible for many of the violent reprisals that have made headlines worldwide.
We at United Against Nuclear Iran have compiled a list of the fifteen most influential political, military, and religious leaders of the pro-Ahmadinejad faction within Iranian society. It is the involvement and support of these leaders that allowed the leadership of Iran to pursue its illegal nuclear weapons program.
1. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Supreme Leader
The flamboyant and fiery-tongued Ahmadinejad may get more press, but Khamenei, who effectively signs off on all major governmental decisions, is the real religious and political authority in Iran. The ayatollah was the central figure in the post-revolutionary resurrection of the Iranian nuclear program after the controversial venture was shuttered during the 1980s. More pragmatic than his radical rhetoric might suggest, the cleric has walked the political tightropes with considerable success for much of his career. He won the presidential election of 1981 in a landslide and has effectively ruled the country from behind the scenes ever since, only emerging in cases of dire emergency—like the massive protests that gripped much of Tehran after the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—to give his opinion on matters of consequence.
2. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – President
Known for his provocative and bellicose rhetoric, Iran’s President rose to prominence during the 2005 election, which saw him leverage his record as the mayor of Tehran in order to build a heterogeneous power base of religious conservatives and the urban poor. Ahmadinejad has emerged as a fierce advocate for what he dubs Iran’s “non-negotiable” right to the full nuclear cycle, even in the face of fierce international criticism and scrutiny. After supposedly “winning” the 2009 presidential contest, Ahmadinejad is due to be sworn in for his second term in August of this year.
3. Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi – Senior Adviser to the President
Closely linked to the Iran’s intelligence services, the Revolutionary Guard, and the flamboyant President, Hashemi serves as Ahmadinejad’s right-hand man and personal envoy. Hashemi headed Ahmadinejad’s 2009 re-election campaign and remains a constant presence in the Iranian government. He has been described as an “Iranian Karl Rove.”
4. Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi – Spiritual Advisor to the President
A radical cleric from Qom, one of the centers of Islam in Iran, Yazdi’s religious views have been described as “fanatical” and “extremely hostile to the West.” He was once considered a potential successor to Khamenei for the top post in the country. Yazdi has advocated suicide bombing attacks against Israel, has been linked to both the Revolutionary Guard and the notorious Basij paramilitary force, and has publicly supported a blatantly military nuclear program. He has also denounced the current structure of government in Iran as flawed, insisting that a truly Islamic regime would not need to have any elections whatsoever.
5. Ahmad Janatti – Chairman of the Council of Guardians
The conservative cleric sits at the head of the Council of Guardians, the body entrusted with reviewing legislation that passes through Iran’s Parliament and ensuring that the legal environment is in accordance with Sharia, the Islamic code of laws. He has been heavily criticized both at home and abroad for his strict interpretation of Islam and his unwillingness to permit reformist candidates to run for office. During the aftermath of the disputed presidential election in June, the Guardian Council (under his leadership) rejected the recount petitions of the Mousavi campaign.
6. General Mohammed Ali Jafari – Commander of the Revolutionary Guards
As the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Jafari is a close associate of the governing conservative coalition. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Jafari has made several public announcements regarding the importance of unconventional warfare and has been linked to the Iraqi insurgency. He has also won credit from the nationalist camp for his declaration that the United States or Israel would be confronted with asymmetrical resistance of the same type that has characterized the conflict in Iraq.
7. Saeed Jalili – Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, top negotiator on nuclear program
The top negotiator and public face of Iran’s nuclear program, Jalili is an academic by training and was elevated to his current post by the Ahmadinejad administration. As the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, he reports directly to Khamenei and coordinates administrative issues related to the defense of the Islamic Republic. Jalili has publically demanded nuclear energy for Iran, but he denies the negative consequences that completing the nuclear fuel cycle would have within the Middle East.
8. Gholam-Hossein Elham – Minister of Justice, official government spokesman
A close ally of Ahmadinejad, Elham has publically denied the existence of the Holocaust, claiming that European powers used it as an excuse to create the state of Israel. He is also the chairman of the Council for Spreading Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Thoughts, an official organ of government created to “define and guard over the thought and works of the president.”
9. Seyyed Javad Shahrestani – Envoy of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
Much has been made of Iran’s attempts to influence events in neighboring Iraq through its support of Shi’ite political parties, but the religious currents flow across the border in both directions. Shahrestani, as the leading representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has disseminated a number of the cleric’s fatwas, including a strict prohibition on homosexuality, which is enforced through brutal executions and torture.
10. Qassem Suleimani – IRGC Qods (officially recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States government)
The commander of the Qods Force, a unit of the Revolutionary Guard charged with arming and aiding foreign Islamist insurgencies, Suleimani is listed as a terrorist by the the United States government and is barred from entering the country. His organization is responsible for the construction of the shaped-charged improvised explosive devices that have killed hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq. He reports directly to the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
11. Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar – Defense Minister of Iran
A veteran of the Revolutionary Guard, he has championed close links with Iranian allies like Syria, even claiming that “we consider the capacity of the Syrian defensive forces as our own.” His background as an engineer has helped him to make significant strides in the Iranian military’s modernization campaign, which has included the pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles that could one day carry a miniaturized nuclear warhead.
12. Ezzatollah Zarghami – Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Iran’s government keeps its state-owned media monopoly on a short leash, enforcing strict censorship standards and mandating that news agencies adhere to its strict interpretation of events. As the head of the only legally recognized broadcast media organization in the country, Zarghami’s decisions affect the ability of the Iranian people to receive unbiased news. His appointment to the post reflects the conservative ruling clique’s confidence in his ability to keep the media scene tranquil. And to date, he has fulfilled their expectations. Despite widespread unrest and violence in recent weeks, Iranian state television has refused to report on the political turmoil and has even suggested that the shooting of Neda Agah-Soltan was staged in order to attract sympathy from the West.
13. Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi – Head of the Judicial System
A conservative cleric and Khamenei appointee who led a pro-Shi’ite political party in neighboring Iraq, Shahroudi earned much credit with pro-Western groups and Iranian reformers when he instituted a moratorium on the practice of stoning in 2002. But since then, Shahroudi’s tenure as head of the Iranian judicial system has been marked by much controversy. His latest project, a bill that would de-criminalize a variety of minor crimes, has been opposed by conservative elements within the regime, but is scheduled to take effect later this year. Despite these minor reforms, Shahroudi is firmly ensconced in the ruling clique of conservative clerics and religious populists that have dominated Iranian politics for decades.
14. Saeed Mortazavi – Prosecutor-General of Tehran