Financial TimesFinancial Times

Iran’s supreme leader takes centre stage in response to protest movement

By Najmeh Bozorgmehr

22 Feb 2023 · 4 min read

Editor's Note

Ayatollah Khamenei seems to be embracing a more active role in public life, attempting to solidify his position and the authority of the Iranian regime following recent protests, reports The FT.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has embraced a more active role in public life as he seeks to shore up the authority of the Iranian regime after the most intense demonstrations since the Islamic revolution.

The supreme leader and the republic’s ultimate decision maker took the significant step in early February of pardoning tens of thousands of prisoners, including some of those involved in the anti-regime protests sparked by the death last year of a 22-year-old woman, which have now subsided.

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