• Iran since 1941

Government:

Iran's governmental system is a complex one. As a theocratic republic, its structure is alien to the usually secular governments of the Western world. Additionally, the Iranian government is convoluted by the difficult to follow appointment process of most governmental positions. For a more detailed discussion of the government structure, click the link below:

• Structure of Iranian Government

The most prominent figures in the Iranian government today are the President and the Supreme Leader. Both of the men who currently hold these two positions have found themselves repeatedly in conflict with the international community. For more information on each man's life, click the links below:

• President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

    -Supreme Leader Khamenei with President Ahmadinejad

In recent years the US and the international community has seen a more assertive Iran emerging in the Middle East.  The removal of two of its fiercest enemies, the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, has laid the ground work for Iranian advances.  Many Arab countries are concerned by the emerging "Persian influence" in the Middle East and are greatly concerned that Iran's nuclear program will lead to an arms race among Arab countries.  Iran's assertive policy has grown quite confrontational with the election of President Ahmadinejad, and his conservative views have led to a domestic crackdown on all things considered anti-islamic.  For more information of Iranian foreign and domestic policy click the link below:

• Iranian Policy: Foreign and Domestic 

        -Iranian version of statue of liberty represents "satanical US"

Hope for the future:

Hope is something that is hard to find for Iran’s future these days. This is because while there have been significant changes in Iranian society and members of Ahmadinejad’s party have suffered in elections at the local level the structure of the Iranian government has given the clerics significant leverage and the ability to block many significant reform attempts. In addition to this there is the distinct possibility that Iran will come into conflict with the US and other powers in the region within the next decade. This is due to the fact that Iran likely wishes that it held the position of regional hegemony that it once did during its days as the Persian Empire, along with this it has been the stated goal of Iran to spread it’s Islamic revolution to other countries, and though it has done so mainly through indirect means such as supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon of the Council for an Islamic revolution in Iraq, there is always the distinct possibility that Iran may become more aggressive in these actions or that the US could attempt to launch a pre-emptive strike. There is the hope that future US presidents will take a less hard line stance toward Iran or that Ahmadinejad will be forced to leave office and the next President will yield more power or the next Supreme Leader may be a closet reformer before his election, though only time will tell. 

Interesting Links:

• Check out the FRONTLINE video series called Showdown in Iran posted in October 2007. It discusses the Iran-American relationship over the past couple of years and its possibly volatile future. If interested, watch the program online at FRONTLINE: Showdown in Iran - October 2007

• Although this video clip is from November 2004, it shows in detail the hostilities Iran feels towards the United States of America. The Iranian sentiments portrayed in the video continue to hold true since little has changed in the two countries' relationship since 2004. The clip is also interesting because it was created and broadcasted in Iran...Anti-American Demonstrations in Iran - November 3, 2004