Iranian Leaders Square Off Over Intelligence

A new struggle between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has broken out in Iran, this time over the country's most critical institution — its intelligence apparatus. While this is not the first time the supreme leader and the president have squared off over appointments and policies, the tensions between the two appear to be getting serious. Reportedly there are plans to transform the Ministry of Intelligence and Security into an organization outside the purview of the executive branch. The issue has implications not just for the locus of power within the Islamic republic but also for its future intelligence capabilities.