Prof. Wu Bingbing, Professor at State of Qatar Chair in Middle Eastern Studies at Peking University, Director at the Department of Arabic Language and culture, School of Foreign Languages in Peking University, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Peking University, Affiliated Expert at iGCU, argued that Iran’s Supreme Leadership constitutes the institutional core of its political system, with constitutional provisions shaping the framework for leadership transition.
He highlighted the decisive roles of the Assembly of Experts—responsible for appointing and dismissing the Supreme Leader—and the Expediency Council, which oversees the transfer of authority during transitional periods. The Guardian Council and the legislative, executive, and judicial branches further shape the balance of power surrounding succession.
Tracing the system to Ayatollah Khomeini’s doctrine of velayat-e faqih, Prof. Wu noted that the 1989 constitutional revision removed the requirement that the Leader be a marja’ al-taqlid (an authority considered a model for reference or emulation) and abolished collective leadership, consolidating authority in a single figure.
Ultimately, he contended that the future of the Supreme Leadership system depends not only on constitutional design but also on evolving factional alignments among conservatives, pragmatists, and reformists within Iran’s elitist politics.
Full article available at:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Ujnp7wzHXHWiZNahMN69ig
Subscription
