Artist: Ahmad Barakizadeh
By Kayhan Life Staff
This week, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s emissary, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, appealed to China and Russia to keep the dialogue between the regime in Tehran and the US alive. To move things forward, Tehran also reached out to the EU, suggesting talks with France, Germany, and Britain to generate momentum toward a potential agreement.
Only two years ago, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic revelled in what he saw as his unchallenged dominance over the Eastern Mediterranean, bolstered by the intricate military and economic networks of his non-state militia and allies. His defense doctrine—anchored in the axis of resistance and an array of ballistic and nuclear capabilities—instilled a bold confidence that allowed him to declare a ‘unity of fronts’ against the US and Israel. However, today the doctrine has been left in tatters.
Within Iran, too, Mr. Khamenei’s leadership is blamed for the rampant mismanagement and corruption that have plunged the economy into distress. Despite holding the world’s second-largest gas reserves, Iran is battling shortages of both gas and electricity. Internal factionalism and power struggles among the ruling elite have further eroded the regime’s capacity to tackle pressing crises.
The era of the Supreme Leader basking in his unshakeable authority is long gone. Today, he twirls and sways like an aging marionette trapped on a stage no longer his own.
