Iran’s government is neither the democracy it claims nor the monolithic theocracy portrayed by critics. The new president, inaugurated Thursday, has real powers but is subservient to an “ultimate authority.”
Tag: Guardian Council (Iran)
Iranian Hard-Liner Ebrahim Raisi Wins Presidential Election Vote
The government announced his victory on Saturday, a day after a vote that many Iranians skipped, viewing it as rigged.
Many Expected to Shun Iran Vote Seen as Presidential Race of One
An ultraconservative judiciary chief appears to have the only real chance of winning after a council of powerful clerics disqualified virtually all the other viable candidates.
Iran Clears Way for Hard-line Judiciary Chief to Become President
Potential rivals to Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Khamenei’s favored choice, were barred from the June 18 election, and the remaining candidates do not present a serious challenge.
Iran Moves to Increase Nuclear Enrichment After Top Scientist Killed
Iran’s response to the assassination of its top nuclear scientist poses an early challenge to the Biden administration, and may be seen as a provocation by President Trump.
Iran Criminalizes Child Abuse After Outrage Over Teenage Girl’s Murder
The new law marks the nation’s first legal protection for children and adolescents, though it does not address child marriages nor juveniles sentenced to death.
Iranians Greet Latest Sanctions Imposed by U.S. With Mockery
Both hard-liners and reformers argued that the new sanctions would have little practical impact. One Iranian joked on Twitter: “The only people left to sanction are me, my dad and our neighbor’s kid.”