Which body elects the Supreme Leader?

Which body elects the Supreme Leader?

• A. The Majles
• B. The Guardian Council
• C. The Assembly of Religious Experts
• D. The President

Answer: (C)

In Iran, the Supreme Leader is chosen by a specific clerical body that the constitution empowers to select the country’s top religious authority. This Assembly of Religious Experts is a body of clerics elected by the public, and it is their role to elect the Supreme Leader from among qualified senior Islamic scholars. The Guardian Council, while it vets candidates for elections and has oversight over legislation, does not elect the Leader. The Majles (parliament) and the President are involved in legislative and executive functions, not in selecting the Supreme Leader.

In Iran, the Supreme Leader is chosen by a specific clerical body that the constitution empowers to select the country’s top religious authority. This Assembly of Religious Experts is a body of clerics elected by the public, and it is their role to elect the Supreme Leader from among qualified senior Islamic scholars. The Guardian Council, while it vets candidates for elections and has oversight over legislation, does not elect the Leader. The Majles (parliament) and the President are involved in legislative and executive functions, not in selecting the Supreme Leader.