These days, it seems that the Islamic Republic of Iran is facing the biggest challenge in its 30-year history. Although Iran has faced many internal and external challenges since the Islamic revolution in 1979, it always has managed to confront the challenges successfully. However, the conclusion of the current crisis is not yet certain.

The escape of Bani Sadr, the first president of the Islamic Republic after he was disqualified by the Majles (Parliament) and then fired, the assassination of 72 members of the Islamic Republic Party, most of whom were high ranking authorities of the country, and the assassination of Mohammad Ali Rajaee, the second president, and Ba Hunar, his prime minister, were some of the big challenges the Islamic Republic encountered in the first years of its life. But despite the crisis these occurrences caused, the country rescued itself thanks to the management of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

 These incidents and conspiracies against the regime were mostly organized by internal opponents such as the Mujaheedin Khalq Organization (MKO) and groups loyal to the dethroned king. However, it was conflict between the right and left wings of the Islamic Republic that presented a more serious threat to the new born regime. Conflicts in the 80’s between Ayatollah Khamenaee, the president backed by the right wing, and Mir Hussein Mosawi, his prime minister backed by the left wing, at one time led to the resignation of Mir Hussein Mosawi.  The resignation was strongly opposed by his powerful backer, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

Breaking the Taboo
The stances taken by Ayatollah Khomeini were sometimes against the desires of certain wings and authorities of the Islamic Republic; however, all the parties respected the Leader’s position and supported his decisions.  It now seems that this taboo is being broken and the authority of the Supreme Leader is no longer a Red Line not to be crossed.

After Ahmadi Nejad, the incumbent president was declared the victor of June 12 presidential elections, street protests by supporters of ‘apparently defeated candidates’ quickly spread across the country. Mir Hussein Mosawai, Ahmedi Nejad’s most important rival, calling himself the real winner, accused the Interior Ministry, the body responsible for holding elections, of systematic fraud.

Unprecedentedly, a day after the announcement of the results, most of the high ranking authorities including the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khamenaee congratulated Ahmadi Nejad for his ‘Landslide Victory’. It seemed that the congratulatory messages, especially the Leader’s, which expressed obvious approval of the election result, were designed to persuade the ‘protesting candidates’ to accept defeat. But on the contrary, the candidates and supporters considered the Leader’s message as a fuel poured on a fire.

Street riots, the murder of some protesters, international pressure on the Iranian regime, and most importantly the spreading of the violent demonstrations compelled the Leader to take a more serious stance. In the last Friday Prayer in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenaee reaffirmed the result of the elections adding that the Islamic Republic would never betray the people’s vote. After seriously criticizing the protesting candidate and his supporters, he indicated that they would be responsible for the consequences of riots and demonstrations if they continued to reject the result of the elections.  

The unsympathetic remarks made by the Supreme Leader, against the protesting candidate while reaffirming the results, disappointed the protesters who have asked for the annulment of the elections. The declaration of the Leader was supposed to bring an end to the conflict as had the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, but violent protest continued. The recent remarks made by Mir Hussein Mosawi that he’ll persist in his firm stance against what he calls ‘Systematic Fraud’ until his last drop of his blood, shows that reformists, despite paying a high price, are passing over the Red Line of the Islamic Republic, something that has never happened in the 30-year history of the regime.