Interesting article in today’s Foreign Policy on the current power struggle in Iran between President Ahmadinejad (representing the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian nationalism) and Supreme Leader Khamenei (representing the clerical hierarchy and Iranian revolutionary Islam). While I disagree that, “Khamenei’s survival and that of the clerical system is in the West’s interest,” (mainly because I see an isolated Ahmadinejad, stripped of support from the bazaaris and with a weakened clerical establishment, as a far easier target for domestic reformers) the author delivers a clear overview of the two dogs in the fight.
Definitely worth the five minutes it’ll take to read.