He didn't have the prestige, the gravitas to be … the successor to the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini," he says. He says that with the help of the formidable Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khamenei built up his power base to become the longest-serving leader in the Middle East. But Khamenei was unconcerned about getting to the root of the protests, says the Middle East Institute's Vatanka, and remained stuck in an Islamic revolutionary mindset against the West.
Author: Jackie Northam
Published at: 2026-02-28 22:08:46
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