The constitution also mentions that whenever the Leader becomes incapable of fulfilling his constitutional duties, or lobs one of the qualifications mentioned in Article 109, or it becomes known that he did not possess some of the qualifications initially, he will be dismissed by the Assembly of Experts. Thus, it should not take more than a moment of deliberation to conclude that Khamenei is utterly incapable of fulfilling his duties, and should be removed. As ridiculous as it is to look into why he has not been removed (since we already know the answer), I think exploring this issue may shed some light on the inadequacy of the current Iranian political system and Constitution.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Supreme Leader, who is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, is at the top of Iran’s power structure. While it may appear that the Assembly of Experts adds democratic elements to the system since the people elect its 86 members for eight-year terms, in truth, the Guardian Council thoroughly vets every candidate. Should candidates not be sufficiently “Islamic,” they are not permitted to run for the Assembly. More interesting is the fact that the Guardian Council, the most influential body in Iran, consists of six members who are appointed by the Supreme Leader and six members who are nominated by the judiciary and approved by the parliament. Those who are unfamiliar with the ridiculous power structure in Iran may be thinking “hey, it’s not so bad since half the members of the Guardian Council are appointed by the judiciary.” The Supreme Leader, however, also appoints the head of the judiciary, thus ensuring a loyal and partisan ally. Accordingly, while an elected body supposedly appoints the Supreme Leader, it is in fact the Supreme Leader who selects the Assembly of Experts, thus ensuring no checks or balances on the highest office in Iran other than “divine” self-restraint.