摘要：The Islamic Republic of Iran (I.R.I) has just accomplished its forty years of existence; the avatars of Khomeini’s regime since its emergence have been many and cannot be properly explained without referring to a man who played key roles since the first days of the new Republic and who has been its leader during the last thirty years: Ali Khamenei. Personally elected by Khomeini as his successor to the post of Supreme Leader, due to his revolutionary credentials, Khamenei has successfully sailed through the treacherous waters of Iranian politics and dropped a solid anchor at his entrusted post. His journey has been one seeking centrality, but without deviating from Khomeini’s pragmatism; both goals were achieved through a complex weaving of alliances and a careful counterbalance of power quotas. Without doubt, Khamenei’s greatest achievement has been that, notwithstanding both the authority and respect earned as Supreme Leader, he has avoided any kind of personal management or cult, easing a future handover and ensuring the continuity of the I.R.I as it is known today.
