Understanding the Difference between the Supreme Leader and the President of Iran after the Death of Ali Khamenei

YOGYAKARTA - The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint attack by the United States and Israel on Saturday morning, February 28. This event immediately triggered a major shock in the political structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Unlike many other countries, the highest authority in Iran is not in the hands of the president, but rather in the hands of the Supreme Leader.

Iran has a unique political system because it combines elements of a republic with religious authority in a constitutional framework. This is where the position of the Supreme Leader becomes the center of gravity of state power. So what is the difference between the supreme leader and the president of Iran? Reported from various sources, here is the discussion.

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic after the 1979 Revolution led by Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran has developed a model of government based on the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih or Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist. This concept places the highest cleric as a supervisor of all state institutions.

The Iranian president is indeed the highest public official directly elected by the people through general elections. The presidential term lasts for four years and a maximum of eight years. However, his appointment still requires official approval from the Supreme Leader.

The Iranian president serves as the head of government who carries out the daily administration of the state. He is responsible for managing the national budget, development planning, labor policy, and implementation of economic programs. However, all strategic policies remain within the framework of the Supreme Leader's guidance.

Unlike presidents in many other countries, the Iranian president has no full control over the military or foreign policy. Both are directly under the authority of the Supreme Leader. This makes the president more like an executive manager than a final decision maker.

The Supreme Leader of Iran acts as the head of state as well as the highest political and religious authority. He has the authority to issue decrees, determine foreign policy directions, and make strategic decisions related to the economy, education, and national planning.

The Supreme Leader's power also includes the appointment of important state officials. He appoints the head of the military, the head of the judicial institution, to members of various strategic institutions. The president can indeed choose ministers, but the decision can be canceled or changed by the Supreme Leader at any time.

Constitutionally, all branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) work under the supervision of the highest leadership. This system ensures that the ideological direction of the Islamic Republic remains consistent with the principles of the revolution. In other words, the president runs the government, while the Supreme Leader determines its limits and orientation.

In theory, the Supreme Leader is supervised by the Assembly of Experts, an institution tasked with selecting and evaluating the holder of the post. In practice, however, the Assembly of Experts candidates are first selected by the Guardian Council, some of whose members are appointed directly by the Supreme Leader. This mechanism makes the supervision mechanism run in a circle of interconnected power.

As a result, the position of Supreme Leader is much more stable than the president who has to face periodic elections. Throughout the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, there have only been two figures who have held the post, namely Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In daily political practice, the president serves as Iran's diplomatic face to the international community. He signs foreign treaties and carries out international relations, but still needs the approval of the Supreme Leader. This means that Iran's foreign policy still reflects the decisions of the country's highest authorities.

This difference explains why presidential changes do not always result in a drastic change in Iran's political direction. As long as the Supreme Leader remains the same, the outlines of national and international policies tend to continue. Therefore, the death of Ali Khamenei is a very decisive moment for the future of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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