In a recent interview with BBC Persian Television, the host asked me to explain in simple terms how I define the deep state in Iran. I responded that the deep state is a small, unelected group of people who have a monopoly over every major lever of power in Iran.
Under the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, this group implements policies that are primarily designed to preserve the regime and cement the group’s complete control over the nation. Under such a reality, the role of any elected official, be it the presidency or in parliament, is nothing more than that of a ‘contractor’.
In the past few years, a number of respected academic institutions have published studies about the deep state, and the decisive role played by unelected and ‘behind the scenes’ elements in Iran. They illustrate the existence of an intricate ‘economic-security’ apparatus, whose clear objective is to keep power at any cost.
