Iran’s Supreme Leader, Unbending Over Time
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- During the 12-day conflict with Israel and the U.S. last June, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly stayed in a bunker beneath his Tehran compound, avoiding public appearances and electronic communication.
- This bunker mentality symbolizes Khamenei’s 37-year authoritarian rule over Iran, characterized by a rigid system resistant to political or social change.
- Khamenei’s leadership is defined by two core ideological pillars: a refusal to allow any reforms that could weaken the regime’s power and persistent hostility toward the United States.
- Experts like Sanam Vakil of Chatham House view Khamenei as an obstructionist unlikely to compromise on ideology, prioritizing regime survival even at great cost to the Iranian people.
