Supreme Leader & President

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Current Supreme Leader of Iran

The Supreme Leader of Iran is responsible for delineation and supervision of "the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran". The Supreme Leader is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, controls the military intelligence and security operations; and has sole power to declare war. The heads of the judiciary, state radio and television networks, the commanders of the police and military forces and six of the twelve members of the Council of Guardians are appointed by the Supreme Leader. The Assembly of Experts elects and dismisses the Supreme Leader on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem.The Assembly of Experts is responsible for supervising the Supreme Leader in the performance of legal duties.

The following is a chronological list of the services Ayatollah Khamenei has rendered to the Islamic Republic since that time:

1980- Founding member of the Islamic Republic party, together with such Religious and Mujahids as Beheshti, Rafsanjani, Bahonar, and Musavi-Ardebili.

Deputy-Minister of Defence
Supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
Elected Tehran MP in the Majlis(Consultative Assembly)

1981- Imam Khomeini's representative at the High Council of Defence.

Active presence at the fronts of the Iraqi-imposed war on Iran.

1982- Elected President of the IRI ( after the martyrdom of President Mohammad Ali Rajai; Khamenei was himself the target of an assassination attempt at Abudhar mosque in Tehran which hospitalized him for a few months.)

Appointed Chairman of the Revolution of Cultural Council.

1986- President of the Expediency Council.

Reelected President for a second, 4-year term.

1990- Chairman of the Committee for Revision of the Constitution.

Elected by the Majlis of Islamic Experts as the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the demise of Imam Khomeini.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, current President of Iran

The President as the highest state authority after the Supreme Leader. The President is elected by universal suffrage for a term of four years. Presidential candidates must be approved by the Council of Guardians prior to running in order to ensure their allegiance to the ideals of the Islamic revolution. The President is responsible for the implementation of the Constitution and for the exercise of executive powers, except for matters directly related to the Supreme Leader, who has the final say in all matters.

The President appoints and supervises the Council of Ministers, coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before the legislature. Eight Vice-Presidents serve under the President, as well as a cabinet of 21 ministers, who must all be approved by the legislature. Unlike many other states, the executive branch in Iran does not control the armed forces.

Biography of H.E. Dr. Ahmadi Nejad, Honourable President of Islamic Republic of Iran

Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad was born in 1956 in the village of Aradan in the city of Garmsar. He moved and stayed in Tehran together with his family while he was still one-year old and completed his primary as well as his low and high secondary education there. In 1975, he successfully passed the university entrance exam with high marks and started his academic studies on the subject of civil engineering in the Science and Technology University in Tehran.
In 1986, he continued his studies at MS level in the same university. In 1989, he became a member of the Board of Civil Engineering Faculty of the Science and Technology University. In 1997, he managed to obtain his Ph.D. on transportation engineering and planning from the Science and Technology University.
Dr. Ahmadi Nejad is familiar with English language. During the years when he was teaching in the university, he wrote many scientific papers and engaged in scientific research in various fields. During the same period, he also supervised the theses of tens of students at MS and Ph.D. levels on different subjects of civil engineering, road and transportation as well as construction management.
While still a student, Dr. Ahmadi Nejad engaged in political activities by attending religious and political meetings before the Islamic Revolution. With the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he became a founder and also a member of the Islamic Association of Students in the Science and Technology University. During the war imposed on Iran, Dr. Ahmadi Nejad was actively present as a member of the volunteer forces (Basij) in different parts and divisions of the battlefronts particularly in the war engineering division until the end of the war.
Dr. Ahmadi Nejad is married and has three children- two sons and one daughter.

Career Background:

Governor of Maku
Governor of Khoy
Advisor to the Governor General of Kordistan Province
Advisor for cultural affairs to the Minister of Culture and Higher Education (1993)
Governor General of Ardabil Province (1993-1997)
Member of the Board of Civil Engineering Faculty of the Science and Technology University (since 1989 till present date)
Tehran Mayor (2003-2005)
He was elected by the Iranian people as the President during the 9th presidential election on June 24, 2005.

In addition to his academic and scientific pursuits as well as his executive positions, Dr. Ahmadi Nejad has engaged in the following careers and activities as well:

Journalism; writing various political, social, cultural and economic articles,
In the same career, he also held the position of managing director of Hamshahri newspaper and launched various affiliated periodicals including Neighborhood Hamshahri published and distributed in 22 areas of the city of Tehran, Hamshahri for Passengers, Diplomatic Hamshahri, Youth Hamshahri, Monthly Hamshahri and also extra pages attached to the Hamshahri newspaper for thinkers, students, etc.
Founding and working as a member of Iran Tunnel Society,
Working as a member of Iran Civil Engineering Society,
Working as a member of the first central council of the Islamic Association of Students in the Science and Technology University,
Working as a member of the first central council of the Union of Islamic Associations of University and Higher Education Institutes in Iran.

References : Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran Website, Khamenei Website