Talk:Supreme Leader of Iran

changed the pictures

I changed the pictures so the article looks better. I don't know how to resize pictures, but I think this looks alright.yes Me to you fort be Alhamdulilah In sha Allah. The power full name Allah .I am Syed Muhammad Zahid

Closed loop

This is absurd, such a loop can be find almost everywhere. As a matter of fact the notion of having checks and balances often implies such loops. I guess the author misunderstood this as a petitio principii (circular logic) which is a fallacy.

Khomeini Life Span

The list of Supreme Leaders section shows the life span of Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini as "1985-1902))." Someone should change this to "(1902-1985)," but the edit page is very confusing, and I don't want to make it any worse.

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Meeting of the families of the martyrs of the authority with the Leader of the Revolution on the birthday of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) 58 (khamenei.ir, 2026) (cropped 3).jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 00:52, 15 January 2026 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 28 February 2026

{Supreme Leader of Iran confirmed dead.} ~2026-13174-43 (talk) 21:24, 28 February 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want made. LizardJr8 (talk) 21:51, 28 February 2026 (UTC)

From the UK (BBC): https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn5ge95q6y7t

From Iran (Iran International):

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202602280738

From the USA (Time):

https://time.com/7381829/iran-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-dead/

3 sources from 3 different countries and 3 different news feeds. Atomus23 (talk) 22:00, 28 February 2026 (UTC)

@Atomus23, here's the problem. All three of those sources are basing it off of Israeli reports. In addition, many RS including the AP, the Guardian, NBC, and others; are using wording such as "presumed" or "Israeli officials confirm" and the like; and are emphasizing that Khamenei's death hasn't been independently verified yet. Hurricane Clyde 🌀^{my talk page!} 23:36, 28 February 2026 (UTC)

Then why not put a section about how he is presumed dead? Even if he is alive it will be important to record that US and Israel claimed he was dead. Grover84 (talk) 01:12, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Dead?

Should we address that Israel and the USA are stating he is dead? Should we address these claims because even if it’s false it’s an important part of his history? Grover84 (talk) 00:30, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Yes he’s confirmed dead ~2026-13150-29 (talk) 00:43, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Why are they refusing to say it on his main page? Grover84 (talk) 01:10, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Edit request 1 March 2026

Description of suggested change:

Ali Khamenei was killed by a joint US - Israeli strike on 2/28/2026

Died on 2 February 2026

In office

4 June 1989 - 4 February 2026

Diff: Warning Unnamed parameter |1= set to default value. Please change it. Failure to use {{Text diff}} to specify your requested text changes, if not adequately described above, may lead to your request being denied.
Cmoylan5003 (talk) 01:41, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want made. Please detail the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate.

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 1 March 2026

Change "assassinated in 2026" to "killed in 2026".

Your use of assassinated implies a level of support for the previous regime that calls your bias and reliability into question. ~2026-13298-18 (talk) 04:09, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before posting an edit request.Slomo666 (talk) 20:43, 6 March 2026 (UTC)

Remove assassination

There has not yet been a confirmation on how he died only that he died. This is incorrect and it shows support for the previous regime. Grover84 (talk) 04:25, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Edit request 1 March 2026

Description of suggested change: Alireza Arafi has been named as acting supreme leader of iran

Diff: Warning Unnamed parameter |1= set to default value. Please change it. Failure to use {{Text diff}} to specify your requested text changes, if not adequately described above, may lead to your request being denied.
~2026-13374-42 (talk) 15:21, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want made. Please detail the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Slomo666 (talk) 20:44, 6 March 2026 (UTC)

Infobox

Is there an "acting supreme leader"? There seems to be confusion over this. Also what does "BBC" stand for? GoodDay (talk) 16:27, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Yes I agree: I don’t think it’s acceptable to name the source in the text of the info box section. List the interim supreme leader, and then cite the source in the footnote ~2026-3747 (talk) 17:32, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

There is no interim or acting supreme leader. It's a collective of three people. GoodDay (talk) 18:27, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Syed Muhammad Zahid14

Imam is coming soon.In sha Allah 🥷🏻👑 ~2026-13365-60 (talk) 18:50, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

Supreme Leader with capital letter: institutional title, not term of respect

Orthography (spelling): the titles Supreme Leader, Authority of the Supreme Leader, Deputy Supreme Leader are institutional. Capitalisation has NOTHING to do with respect, just with proper English grammar. Führer and Il Duce are written like this not out of respect for Hitler and Mussolini. Those terms and Supreme Leader are not common nouns with or w/o an adjectiv, but official titles and as such require capitalisation. May they all rot in hell, but grammar is grammar. Arminden (talk) 12:12, 3 March 2026 (UTC)

I have consulted two English Usage Guides on this point: Garner's Modern English Usage, Fourth Edition (sub verbo "Capitalization") does not give much advice and says to consult a style guide for the last word. Fowler's Modern English Usage, Second Edition (sub verbo "Capitals") calls the capitalization rules "anarchic" but later says: "Capitals are appropriate for full titles of persons, ranks, offices, institutions, countries, buildings, books, plays, etc. whether general or particular, single or plural." Fowler therefore agrees with the above comment. ~2026-13936-69 (talk) 01:52, 4 March 2026 (UTC)

New leader

Not thr best source, but it appears Khamenei's son Mojtaba has been named supreme leader.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202602288143 331dot (talk) 21:52, 3 March 2026 (UTC)

Mojtaba Khamenei

Regarding the update on the page, I know it's been proclaimed by a few sources such as the Sun and the Mirror, as well as the original publisher Iran International, but most major news sources seem to be fairly hesitant in fully confirming his selection. Until that occurs, would it be better to clarify in the infobox that it's presumed, rather than certified? Max Epper (talk) 10:15, 4 March 2026 (UTC)

As per Talk:Mojtaba Khamenei#New supreme leader? this is all circular reporting repeating a since-withdrawn rumor reported by Iran International, so I have completely removed Mojtaba from the infobox. SuperPianoMan9167 (talk) 14:02, 4 March 2026 (UTC)

Iran is delaying the official confirmation due to threats from Trump. [1] Ixfd64 (talk) 22:28, 6 March 2026 (UTC)

De jure or de facto head of state

I would like to raise a point for discussion regarding how the Supreme Leader’s role should be described in the article, specifically whether the position should be characterized as the de jure or de facto head of state of Iran.

My understanding is that, according to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Supreme Leader is the de jure head of state, as the office holds the highest authority in the state and is formally placed above all branches of government. The Supreme Leader’s constitutional powers—including command of the armed forces, appointment of key judicial and military officials, and the authority to set the general policies of the Islamic Republic, indicate that the position is legally the highest state authority.

At the same time, it is also true that the President performs several functions that are commonly associated with heads of state in other political systems. For example, the President signs treaties with foreign countries, appoints or recalls ambassadors, and receives the credentials or letters of recall of foreign diplomatic representatives, just to name a few.

Because of this division of responsibilities, I think the article could clarify that the President carries out some ceremonial or diplomatic duties often associated with a head of state, while the Supreme Leader remains the de jure head of state under the constitution. This distinction may help avoid confusion for readers who are comparing Iran’s political system with those of other countries.

I would be interested in hearing other editors’ views on whether the article should explicitly describe the Supreme Leader as the de jure head of state, while noting the President’s role in performing certain functions traditionally associated with heads of state. Belson 303 (talk) 07:20, 7 March 2026 (UTC)

I agree this is a confusing point. The article currently states that the SL is the "de jure" head of state. But the article about the President_of_Iran states " the supreme leader is the de facto head of state". So he is being described both as jure and as de facto head of state in different articles. If he's both DF HOS and DJ HOS then the logical thing would be to describe him simply as HOS. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ~2026-14443-12 (talk) 16:01, 7 March 2026 (UTC)

Many nations do not operationally define their preeminent constitutional officers as the head of state. This is especially true among states with older constitutions, those states where the prevailing system of government isn't a parliamentary democracy (e.g., presidential republics in the Americas), or regimes where the established constitutional order doesn't operate in the usual democratic paradigm occupied by contemporary sovereign states. In the case of Iran, the latter applies: it is constitutionally a theocracy, not a representative democracy. The president is Iran's head of state, not the supreme leader. But the presidency is subject to the oversight of the supreme leader, who take precedence over all other public officials domestically.

Remember, to be head of state is a function - not an actual office. Per Watts & Foakes (2023) in Oxford Public International Law, a head of state is merely the highest functionary of a sovereign state, with the exclusive right to represent their respective state internationally in all matters concerning international law. Thus, it falls to heads of state to accredit ambassadors abroad, receive the credentials of foreign diplomats, and both pay and accept state visits. Likewise, it also falls to heads of state to sign instruments of ratification, thereby giving full legal effect to treaties. All four of these responsibilities are explicitly conferred on the president by Articles 125 and 128 of the Iranian constitution. Likewise, the international community - including the United Nations and its affiliated organizations - recognizes the president as Iran's head of state.

So, I think we can settle this matter once and for all: the president is indeed Iran's head of government and de jure head of state. However, the supreme leader is the highest political and religious authority of the Iranian state, exercising plenary control and supervision over all aspects of public business, be they legislative, executive, or judicial. The supreme leader is conferred this absolute power by the Islamic Republic constitution in order to guarantee the continuity and stability of the established authoritarian regime. Both this Wikipedia article and the article concerning the Iranian presidency need to be updated to reflect this constitutional reality. Mcvayn (talk) 06:53, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

It may be useful to note that the formal diplomatic functions associated with a head of state can vary across constitutional systems, and they do not always correspond to where political authority actually lies.

For example, in Sweden the head of state is King Carl XVI Gustaf, even his role is largely ceremonial under the Instrument of Government (1974). In practice, the Swedish system separates ceremonial representation from political authority in foreign affairs.

Some diplomatic functions are still formally associated with the monarch. Foreign ambassadors accredited to Sweden present their letters of credence to the king in a formal ceremony, and the king signs the letters of credence for Swedish ambassadors posted abroad. However, the actual decision to appoint ambassadors is taken by the Government (led by the head of goverment, the Prime Minister), not the monarch.

Similarly, the Government of Sweden conducts foreign policy, negotiates and concludes international agreements, and signs treaties with foreign states, as well as representing the country internationally. In many cases the Riksdag must also approve treaties before they enter into force. The monarch does not negotiate or sign treaties and does not determine foreign policy.

This example illustrates that the formal head of state may perform certain diplomatic ceremonies while the government exercises the substantive authority in foreign relations.

A different distribution of authority exists in Iran. The President of Iran carries out several formal diplomatic functions under the constitution. For example, Article 125 provides that the president signs treaties and agreements after approval by the legislature, and Article 128 provides that the president signs the credentials of ambassadors and receives the credentials of foreign diplomats.

At the same time, the Supreme Leader of Iran determines the general policies of the state. This authority includes ultimate influence over major strategic decisions, including foreign and security policy as well as performing most “head-of-state–type” functions domestically.

Because constitutional systems distribute authority differently, the office performing formal, ceremonial, and diplomatic acts associated with a head of state and the office exercising ultimate political authority do not necessarily coincide. The Swedish example illustrates this separation clearly, while the Iranian system combines formal presidential functions with overarching authority exercised by the Supreme Leader. ~2026-15115-30 (talk) 19:53, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

This is all true. However, in terms of core diplomatic duties under international law, all heads of state accredit their ambassadors abroad, receive the credentials of foreign diplomats, and both pay and accept state visits. Likewise, it also falls to heads of state to sign instruments of ratification, as opposed to actual ratification, conclusion, or negotiation of bilateral or multilateral agreements (which may be performed by other state authorities), thereby giving full legal effect to treaties. Iran's president performs all four of these tasks as a matter of domestic constitutional law, not the supreme leader.

I hope we can resolve this reasonably soon so the article is updated to provide accurate information to users. Mcvayn (talk) 18:37, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

So where again is the source that the SL is the head of state (which can only ever be a "de jure" position - never a "de facto" one). The opening comment did not provide any solid backing to that claim. Str1977 ^(talk) 18:43, 10 April 2026 (UTC)

You won't find any such source. The supreme leader is very clearly not Iran's head of state as a matter of both domestic and international law. That function rests with Iran's president per Articles 125 and 128 of the Iranian constitution. The UN already recognizes this.* So too should Wikipedia. We need to change this to ensure readers are receiving accurate information.

• Refer to the second paragraph in my first comment under this heading.

Mcvayn (talk) 17:21, 22 April 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 8 March 2026

Jasperhello (talk) 21:20, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

Dear Wikipedia’s editorial team,

I am sending a request in this message to change the status from “Vacant” to “Incumbent”, with Mojtaba Khamenei serving the position since the 9th of March, 2026. Apologies if this message is short.

Best wishes - Jasperhello

 Done IsCat (talk) 21:41, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

Is it a de facto hereditary position now?

Turkemenistans leader is described as de facto dynastic due to 2nd leader and 3rd leader being hereditary, so? ~2026-14827-29 (talk) 23:33, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 9 March 2026

2026 JaredSanashi (talk) 15:17, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want made. Please detail the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. {{GearsDatapack|talk|contribs}} 16:41, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

wikipedia lagged for some reason, i did do another request but that didn't get done so yeah.. JaredSanashi (talk) 12:13, 11 March 2026 (UTC)

Edit request 9 March 2026

Description of suggested change:

Diff:

−

| Masoud Pezeshkian

+

| [[Masoud Pezeshkian]]

JaredSanashi (talk) 15:19, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: He is already linked in the row above, and pages should only be linked once per section. {{GearsDatapack|talk|contribs}} 16:43, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

Official name

What's the official name of the office that should be used in the Infobox? Supreme Leader? Supreme Leadership Authority? Leader of the Islamic Revolution? Or just Leader? Out of these, the Supreme Leadership Authority seems to be the least used so it should probably be changed. The Account 2 (talk) 13:52, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

Edit request 29 March 2026

Please change the infobox link of the deputy supreme leader to the page, Deputy Supreme Leader of Iran. This also goes for the deputy supreme leader section and a main page template should be added. Thank you. AhmadKermani1979 (talk) 17:58, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

 Done – Scyrme (talk) 18:19, 29 March 2026 (UTC)