TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iranian moderates have won a majority in the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that is tasked with choosing the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, and which was previously dominated by hard-liners.
The 88-member body is elected every eight years, and may choose the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been Iran’s top decision-maker since the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died in 1989. Khamenei is 76 years old and underwent prostate surgery in 2014, raising concerns about his health.
The newly elected body could therefore play a major role in shaping the future of Iran, which is deeply divided between hard-liners who are hostile to the West and relative moderates who want to expand freedoms and improve relations with the international community.
The Associated Press explains the Assembly of Experts, the latest election, and what it means for Iran’s future.
WHAT IS THE ASSEMBLY OF EXPERTS?