After eight years of a bold but bungled experiment with reform, Iran’s government is in the throes of a takeover by conservatives determined to restore the revolution’s Islamic purity, according to Iranian politicians and analysts. The transformation is symbolized by the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose limited scholarly credentials were questioned even by his peers when he was selected 15 years ago. His authority caused a national debate during the reform era, when he was in danger of being sidelined politically, analysts said. Today, however, they said, Khamenei is more powerful than at any time since 1989, when he succeeded the leader of Iran’s Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Critics said his control is as far-reaching as that of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi before he was overthrown in 1979. “The pendulum has swung. Khamenei is in a better position than he’s ever been,” a senior Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity, because of the sensitivity of the subject. “There’s a real cockiness in the stride of his camp.” Full Story
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