The Power Struggle Inside Iran

For many years, much bad analysis from supposed Iran experts focused on divisions between “moderates” and “hardliners” within the regime; a constant refrain of supporters of the 2015 nuclear deal was that it would strengthen the moderates. While divisions and factions existed within the regime, there was no doubt that it was the supreme leader who was calling the shots. The elimination of Ayatollah Khamenei—along with an entire echelon of high-ranking officials—seems to have struck a blow to the regime’s coherence. There are still no moderates, but there may be a real split, and there are even reports of some sort of palace coup.