Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran for over three decades, was laid to rest Friday after being killed in Israeli strikes on Feb. 28.
The Legacy of Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic
Khamenei assumed power in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. According to the Associated Press, he spent his tenure neutralizing the reform movement and expanding the military, political, and economic power of the Revolutionary Guard. He also defied international sanctions to develop Iran’s nuclear program and missile arsenal.
Supporters view Khamenei as a martyr and a defender of clerical rule against the West and Israel. Hossein Akbari, a 60-year-old mourner in Tehran, told the Associated Press that the goal of supporters is to prove they will not submit to “oppression and tyranny.”
Internal Division and the January Crackdown
While hard-liners held large processions in Tehran, other Iranians view his legacy as one of “injustice,” according to the sister of a protester killed by security forces on Jan. 9. The Associated Press reports that security forces killed thousands of people in January to crush nationwide demonstrations that began over economic hardship.
This unrest follows a pattern of repression dating back to 2009, when protests over presidential election vote-rigging resulted in dozens of deaths. An Iranian activist and former political prisoner told the Associated Press that those events generated “widespread hopelessness.”
The divide is also evident in recent election data. While turnout reached some of its lowest levels, the reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian received 16.3 million votes, while the hard-line candidate received 13.5 million.
Economic Collapse and Social Rifts
Economic mismanagement and sanctions have left working-class families unable to afford basic needs. A resident of eastern Iran told the Associated Press that workers can “barely afford to buy bread.” In Tehran, a 33-year-old former tech worker reported that unemployment and prices have surged, leaving many of his peers jobless.
These tensions have entered the home. A tech worker in his mid-30s told the Associated Press that a “remarkable” gap has opened up in households, noting he can barely discuss religion or politics with his father and siblings.
Future Stability Under Mojtaba Khamenei
The theocracy is now transitioning to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and successor of the late leader. Mojtaba Khamenei remains in hiding but has provided tentative support for talks with the U.S. in a written statement, according to the Associated Press.
The current administration under President Pezeshkian hopes to use these talks to lift sanctions and rebuild the economy. Ali Rabiei, a senior aide to the president, told the state news agency IRNA that the government could lean on a large part of society existing between the “two poles” of hard-line support and total opposition.
Rebin Rahmani, director at the Kurdish Human Rights Network, stated that a reliance on "iron-fisted, security-driven approaches" may trigger further unrest. Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group noted that while wartime created cohesion, governance challenges remain stark and rival factions may now vie to define the future of the republic.
