"Rahbar" redirects here. For other uses, see Rahbar (disambiguation).
Supreme Leadership Authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran
رهبر معظم انقلاب اسلامی ایران (Persian)
رهبر جمهوری اسلامی ایران
Emblem of Iran
Flag of Iran
Incumbent
Vacant‍[a]
since 28 February 2026
Office of the Supreme Leader
Style His Eminence
Type Head of state (de facto)[6]
Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
Provisional[citation needed] head of the three branches of the state (the Judiciary, the Legislature, and the Executive)
Residence Jamaran Hussainiya (former)
House of Leadership (present)
Seat Tehran
Appointer Assembly of Experts
Term length Life tenure[7]
Constituting instrument Constitution of Iran
Precursor Shah of Iran
Formation 5 February 1979 (as Revolutionary Leader)
3 December 1979 (as Supreme Leader)
First holder Ruhollah Khomeini
Succession Interim Leadership Council if the office is vacant
Unofficial names Revolutionary Leader (5 February 1979 – 3 December 1979)
Deputy Grand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri (15 July 1985 – 25 April 1989)
Website www.leader.ir

The supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran,[b] also referred to as the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution,[8][c] but officially called the Supreme Leadership Authority,[d] is the de facto head of state and the highest political and religious authority of Iran (above the president). The armed forces, judiciary, state radio and television, and other key government organizations such as the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council are subject to the supreme leader.[9][10]

According to the constitution, the supreme leader delineates the general policies of the Islamic Republic (article 110), supervising the legislature, the judiciary, and the executive branches (article 57).[11] The previous officeholder, Ali Khamenei, issued decrees and made the final decisions on the economy, the environment, foreign policy, education, national planning, and other aspects of governance in Iran.[e] Khamenei also made the final decisions on the amount of transparency in elections,[20] and during his rule dismissed and reinstated presidential cabinet appointees.[21]

The office was established by the Constitution of Iran in 1979, pursuant to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's concept of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist,[22] and is a lifetime appointment.[23] Originally the constitution required the supreme leader to be Marja'-e taqlid, the highest-ranking cleric in the religious laws of Usuli Twelver Shia Islam. In 1989, the constitution was amended and simply asked for Islamic "scholarship" to allow the supreme leader to be a lower-ranking cleric.[24][25] The style "Supreme Leader" (Persian: رهبر معظم, romanized: rahbar-e mo'azzam) is commonly used as a sign of respect although the Constitution designates them simply as "Leader" (رهبر, rahbar). According to the constitution (Article 111), the Assembly of Experts is tasked with electing (following Ayatollah Khomeini), supervising, and dismissing the supreme leader. In practice, the Assembly has never been known to challenge or otherwise publicly oversee any of the supreme leader's decisions[26] (all of its meetings and notes are strictly confidential).[27] Members of the Assembly are elected by people in elections, and are approved by bodies (the Guardian Council) whose members are appointed by the supreme leader or appointed by an individual (Chief Justice of Iran) appointed by the supreme leader. The United Nations list of Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Ministers for Foreign Affairs of all Member States lists the president as the official de jure head of state and government, rather than the supreme leader himself.[28]

The Islamic Republic of Iran has in its history had only two supreme leaders: Khomeini, who held the position from 1979 until his death in 1989 and Ali Khamenei, who held the position from Khomeini's death until his assassination in 2026.[29]

Incorporation in the constitution

1979

In March 1979, shortly after Ruhollah Khomeini's return from exile and the overthrow of Iran's monarchy, a national referendum was held throughout Iran with the question "Islamic Republic, yes or no?".[30] Although some groups objected to the wording and choice and boycotted the referendum, 98% of those voting, voted "yes".[30] Following this landslide victory, the constitution of Iran of 1906 was declared invalid. A new constitution for an Islamic state was created and ratified by referendum during the first week of December in 1979.[31]

According to Francis Fukuyama, the 1979 constitution is a "hybrid" of "theocratic and democratic elements" with much of it based on the ideas Khomeini presented in his published book Islamic Government (Hukumat-e Islami).[32] In the work, Khomeini argued that government must be run in accordance with traditional Islamic sharia, and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist (faqih) must provide political "guardianship" (wilayat or velayat) over the people. The leading jurist were known as Marja'.

The Constitution stresses the importance of the clergy in government, with Article 4 stating that

all civil, criminal, financial, economic, administrative, cultural, military, political, and all other statutes and regulations (must) be keeping with Islamic measures;…the Islamic legal scholars of the watch council (Shura yi Nigahban) will keep watch over this.[33]

and the importance of the supreme leader. Article 5 states

during the absence of the removed Twelfth Imam (may God hasten his reappearance) government and leadership of the community in the Islamic Republic of Iran belong to the rightful God fearing legal scholar (Faqih) who is recognized and acknowledged as the Islamic leader by the majority of the population.

Article 107 in the constitution mentions Khomeini by name and praises him as the most learned and talented leader for emulation (marja-i taqlid). The responsibilities of the supreme leader are vaguely stated in the constitution, thus any 'violation' by the supreme leader would be dismissed almost immediately. As the rest of the clergy governed affairs on a daily basis, the supreme leader is capable of mandating a new decision as per the concept of Vilayat-e Faqih.[34]

The supreme leader does not receive a salary.[35]

1989

Shortly before Khomeini's death, a change was made in the constitution of Iran allowing a lower ranking Shia cleric to become the supreme leader. Khomeini had a falling out with his would-be successor Hussein-Ali Montazeri, who disapproved of human rights abuses by the Islamic Republic[36] such as the mass execution of political prisoners in late summer and early autumn 1988. Montazeri was demoted as a marja and Khomeini chose a new successor, a relatively low-ranking member of the clergy, Ali Khamenei. However Article 109 stipulated that the leader be "a source of imitation" (Marja-e taqlid).[37]

Khomeini wrote a letter to the president of the Assembly for Revising the Constitution, which was in session at the time, making the necessary arrangements to designate Khamene'i as his successor, and Article 109 was revised accordingly.[37] "Khomeini is supposed to have written a letter to the Chairman of the assembly of Leadership Experts on 29.4.89 in which he emphasised that he had always been of the opinion that the marja'iyat was not a requirement for the office of leader."[37]

Functions, powers and duties

Ali Khamenei voting in the 2017 Presidential election
Ali Khamenei with Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven, 2017
Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei meeting with chairman of the Hamas Shura Council Ismail Haniyeh and leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah, July 2024

Duties and Powers given to the supreme leader by the Constitution, decrees and other laws are:

  1. Delineation of the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in consultation with the Nation's Expediency Discernment Council.
  2. Supervision over the proper execution of the general policies of the systems.
  3. Resolving conflicts between the three branches of the government[38]
  4. Issuing decrees for national referendums.
  5. Supreme command over the Armed Forces.
  6. Declaration of war and peace, and the mobilization of the armed forces.[39]
  7. Ability to veto laws passed by the parliament.[40][41]
  8. Appointment, dismissal, and acceptance of resignation of:
    1. the members of Expediency Discernment Council.
    2. the members of Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.
    3. two personal representatives to the Supreme National Security Council.[40]
    4. Can delegate representatives to all branches of government. Ali Khamenei had around 2000 representatives.[42]
    5. the six fuqaha' of the Guardian Council.
    6. the supreme judicial authority of the country.
    7. ministers of defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, and science.
    8. the head of the radio and television network of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
    9. the chief of the joint staff.
    10. the chief commander of the armed forces of the country
    11. the highest commanders of the armed forces.
  9. Can dismiss and reinstate ministers.[43][21][44]
  10. Resolving differences between the three wings of the armed forces and regulation of their relations.
  11. Resolving the problems, which cannot be solved by conventional methods, through the Nation's Expediency Discernment Council.
  12. Signing the decree formalizing the elections in Iran for the President of the Republic by the people.
  13. Dismissal of the President of the Republic, with due regard for the interests of the country, after the Supreme Court holds him guilty of the violation of his constitutional duties, or after an impeachment vote of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) testifying to his incompetence on the basis of Article 89 of the Constitution.
  14. Pardoning or reducing the sentences of convicts, within the framework of Islamic criteria, on a recommendation (to that effect) from the head of the judiciary. The supreme leader may delegate part of his duties and powers to another person.
  15. Confirms decisions of the Supreme National Security Council.[45]
  16. Control over Special Clerical Court.[46]

Mandate and status

The supreme leader of Iran is elected by the Assembly of Experts (Persian: مجلس خبرگان رهبری, romanized: majles-e xobregân-e rahbari), which is also the only government body in charge of choosing and dismissing supreme leaders of Iran.[47]

The supreme leader is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the provisional[citation needed] head of the three branches of the state, the Judiciary, the Legislature, and the Executive.

He oversees, appoints, or inaugurates, and can dismiss the following offices:

Organization Branches Activity Refs.
Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Two personal representative. Body for national security and foreign policy discussions, including nuclear policy. [2][40]
Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
  • Iran's conventional military, also known as Artesh, is primarily focused on defending the country from foreign threats.
  • The IRGC was established to protect the revolution and is geared towards asymmetric warfare and less traditional duties of the armed forces.
  • The Law Enforcement Command is the uniformed police force in Iran.
 [2]
Chief Justice of Iran Head of the Judiciary Branch (usually a member of the Assembly of Experts) for a term of 8 years
Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Irans national news broadcaster
Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution Body that works "to ensure that the education and culture of Iran remains Islamic."
Expediency Discernment Council Set up to resolve conflicts between the Guardian Council and the Parliament. Also advises the supreme leader
Head of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Nominated by the President and approved by the Leader. [48]

Additional information:

Iran's regional policy is directly controlled by the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' task limited to protocol and ceremonial occasions. All of Iran's ambassadors to Arab countries, for example, are chosen by the Quds Force, which directly reports to the supreme leader.[19]

According to the constitution, all supreme leaders, following Ayatollah Khomeini, are to be elected by the Assembly of Experts, who are elected by Iranian voters to eight-year terms. All candidates for membership at the Assembly of Experts (along with candidates for president and for the Majlis (parliament)) must have their candidacy approved by the Guardian Council.[51] In 2016, 166 candidates were approved by the Guardians, out of 801 who applied to run for the office.[52]

Members of the Guardian Council are half appointed unilaterally by the supreme leader. Half are subject to confirmation by the Majlis, after being appointed by the head of the Iranian judiciary (Chief Justice of Iran), who is himself appointed by the supreme leader of Iran.[53] The Assembly has never questioned the supreme leader.[26] There have been cases where the Guardian Council repealed its ban on particular people, after being directed to do so by Khamenei.[54]

The supreme leader is legally considered "inviolable", with Iranians being routinely punished for questioning or insulting him.[55][56][57][58]

Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (Velayat-e faqih)

Main article: Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Hajj authorities, 2018
Ali Khamenei, second supreme leader of Iran, and his claim of "speaking with God"

The constitution of Iran combines concepts of both democracy and theocracy, theocracy in the form of Khomeini's concept of vilayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist), as expressed in the Islamic Republic. According to Ayatollah Khomeini, the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist was not restricted to orphans or mental incompetents, but applied to everyone in absence of the twelfth Imam.[59]

Jurists were the only rightful political/governmental leaders because "God had commanded Islamic government" and "no one knew religion better than the ulama" (Islamic clergy).[59] They alone would preserve "Islamic order" and keep everyone from deviating from "the just path of Islam".[60]

Prior to the revolution, observant Shia Muslims selected their own leading faqih to emulate (known as a Marja'-i taqlid) according to their own decision making. The "congregation rather than the hierarchy decided how prominent the ayatollah was" thus allowing the public to possibly limit the influence of the Faqih.[59]

After the revolution Shia Muslims, or at least Iranian Shia, were commanded to show allegiance to the current vali-e faghih, Guardian Jurist or supreme leader. In this new system, the jurist oversaw all governmental affairs. The complete control exercised by the Faqih was not to be limited to the Iranian Revolution because the revolution and its Leader had international aspirations. As the constitution of the Islamic Republic states, it

intends to establish an ideal and model society on the basis of Islamic norms. ... the Constitution provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of the Revolution at home and abroad. In particular, in the development of international relations, the Constitution will strive with other Islamic and popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world community (in accordance with the Koranic verse 'This your community is a single community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me' [21:92]), and to assure the continuation of the struggle for the liberation of all deprived and oppressed peoples in the world.[33]

According to author Seyyed Vali Nasr, Khomeini appealed to the masses, during the pre-1979 period, by referring to them as the oppressed and with charisma and political ability was tremendously successful. He became a very popular role model for Shiites, and hoped for the Iranian Revolution to be the first step to a much larger Islamic revolution, transcending Shia Islam, in the same way that Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky had wanted their revolution to be a world revolution, not just a Russian one.[61]

List of supreme leaders

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Term of office Election President(s) Political party Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Seyyed
Ruhollah Khomeini
سیدروح‌الله خمینی
(1900–1989)
 3 December 1979[f] 3 June 1989
(Died in office)		 9 years and 6 months N/a
List:
N/a Leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution,[62] and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[63]
2 Seyyed
Ali Khamenei
سیدعلی خامنه‌ای
(1939–2026)
 4 June 1989[g] 28 February 2026
(Assassinated in office)		 36 years, 8 months and 24 days 1989
List:
Previously served as President of Iran from 1981 until Khomeini's death.[64]

Timeline

Ali KhameneiRuhollah Khomeini

Deputy Supreme Leader

The role of the Iranian Deputy Supreme Leader was eventually incorporated into the Authority of the Supreme Leader.

During the presidency of Hassan Rouhani and amid longstanding rumors of Khamenei's declining health, it was recommended to Khamenei to reestablish the office of Deputy Supreme Leader to better facilitate the transition to new leadership.[67]

Interim Leadership Council

Main article: Interim Leadership Council

After the death of Khamenei, following Article 111 of the Islamic Republic constitution,[68] a Provisional Leadership Council took over Khamenei's role, pending election of a new supreme leader. The Interim Leadership Council, as established on 1 March 2026, consists of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and Alireza Arafi of the Guardian Council.[69][70][71]

Future leader

Further information: 2026 Iranian Supreme Leader election

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Interim Leadership Council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, shall temporarily handle duties until a new Supreme Leader is elected.[5]
  2. ^ Persian: رهبر معظم ایران, romanised: Rahbar-e Moazam-e Irân listenⓘ
  3. ^ Persian: رهبر معظم انقلاب اسلامی, romanised: Rahbar-e Moazam-e Enqelâb-e Eslâmi
  4. ^ Persian: مقام معظم رهبری, romanised: Maqâm-e Moazam-e Rahbari
  5. ^ Attributed to multiple sources: [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
  6. ^ His title was Leader of the Revolution from 5 February 1979 until 3 December 1979.
  7. ^ Acting: 4 June – 6 August 1989

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