During the Nine Day War, the Iranian regime remained intact and, at least to some extent, in control of the country.
Street protests have yet to materialize, no doubt the opposition movement is waiting to see US The course will stay.
A sudden retreat from Washington would expose the protestors and pity any remaining state rump.
So why, then Assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei On the first day of the conflict, the regime did not collapse like other dictatorships in Libya, Syria And Iraq?
Its survival, so far, can be put down to the complex hybrid structure of governance developed after the 1979 revolution to withstand external or internal challenge.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezheshkian. Image: Reuters
The system is deliberately designed to be bigger than a man, meaning that if you kill the supreme leader you don’t kill the regime.
Electricity has been distributed to several bodies, most of which are still functioning.
It is unlike any government anywhere else in the world.
Supreme leader
The Supreme Leader is the country’s ultimate political and religious authority, a role created after the 1979 revolution.
He was the senior religious cleric, elected by a council of experts – a body of 88 persons – and appointed for life.
The supreme leader has a hand in everything: he has to approve the intelligence chief, the army and other sensitive roles.
The country has had two supreme leaders in its history: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A meeting of experts
A group of experts we will hear a lot about in the near future. It is made up of 88 men and its main role is to elect and appoint the Supreme Leader.
They are trying to do that now after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mojtaba Khamenei could be the next Supreme Leader. File photo: Saeed Zareyan/Image-Alliance/dpa/AP
In theory, he can remove the Supreme Leader if he is deemed unfit, but in reality he rarely interferes.
Guardian Council
Under the Supreme Leader, the Guardian Council is one of the most powerful organizations.
It consists of 12 members: six Islamic clerics selected by the Supreme Leader and six jurists appointed by Parliament.
The Guardian Council reviews laws passed by parliament, ensures compliance with strict Islamic law, and can decide who runs for parliament, giving it enormous power over Iranian politics.
Judiciary
Headed by the Chief Justice appointed by the Supreme Leader, the judiciary is a feared institution Iran. It not only oversees courts and selects prosecutors, it also enforces strict conservative Islamic law, so it exerts a huge influence on Iranian society.
President
The president, currently Masoud Pezheshkian, is elected every four years and runs the government, appoints ministers and proposes the budget.
Newly appointed IRGC chief Ahmed Vahidi. Image: AP
Like MPs, they also have to be approved by the Guardian Council.
Expediency Council
The role of the Expediency Council is to advise the Supreme Leader. They can also resolve disputes between Parliament and the Guardian Council
Iranian army
The Iranian army, known as the Artesh, has existed since the time of the Iranian monarchy. Its main role is to protect Iran’s borders.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The IRGC was established after the 1979 revolution because Ayatollah Khomeini did not trust Artesh for fear that he would be loyal to the deposed Shah.
They answer directly to the Supreme Leader and exist to preserve the Islamic Republic.
The IRGC grew in size and strength through the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war that began in September 1980.
In addition to having a navy and air force branch, the IRGC controls the feared Basij militia, which has been responsible for violent crackdowns on protest movements, and the IRGC’s international arm, the Quds Force, has developed a network of proxies across the Middle East – including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
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IRGC is a very harsh and brutal force today. He is rich and extremely influential in Iranian politics – it is crucial to see what his hand is in the appointment of the next supreme leader.
On the death of the Supreme Leader, as in the present case, the Chief Justice, the President and the members of the Guardian Council jointly and temporarily assume the office of Supreme Leader, though not by name.
