The ferocious suppression of the protests is a sign of how deep a threat Khamenei and Iran's leadership see in the widespread popular anger. A low-level cleric at the time, Khamenei didn't have the religious credentials of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution. Under the Islamic Republic, clerics stand at the top of the hierarchy, drawing the lines to which the civilian government, the military, and intelligence and security establishment must submit.
Author: Lee Keath, Associated Press
Published at: 2026-02-04 21:32:43
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