Seven months after death, Ali Khamenei’s political will remains unpublished

OPA WIRE, Oct 20 (OPA) — Seven months after the death of Ali Khamenei, the Iranian government has yet to release his political testament. While an older, personal will dated April 1963 has been circulated, the absence of a formal political document remains a point of contention. Government officials have offered conflicting explanations for the delay, with some, including Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, suggesting the document may have been destroyed during the bombing of the leader's residence. These claims have been met with skepticism, as observers note that a document of such national importance would likely have been secured in a more protected location than a personal library.

The lack of transparency surrounding the document echoes the secrecy regarding the transition of power. Historical precedents, such as the handling of Ruhollah Khomeini’s will, highlight the contrast in protocol. Khomeini’s testament was preserved in two separate copies, held by the Astan Quds Razavi and the Assembly of Experts. Despite Khomeini’s explicit written instructions in his will—including a ban on military and security forces participating in political games—his successors largely ignored these mandates, particularly regarding the political influence of the IRGC and the Basij.

Historical comparisons to the Soviet Union and China illustrate how political testaments are often manipulated or suppressed to serve the interests of those in power. Vladimir Lenin’s 1922 letter to the Communist Party Congress, which warned against Joseph Stalin’s concentration of power, was suppressed for decades. Similarly, after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976, his successors ignored his instructions regarding funeral rites and the prohibition of mausoleums to consolidate their own legitimacy. In both cases, the documents were treated as political tools rather than sacred instructions.

Whether the publication of Khamenei’s will would alter the current trajectory of the Islamic Republic remains uncertain. Even if released, the document’s practical impact would depend entirely on how the ruling elite chooses to interpret or ignore its contents. As seen in the aftermath of Khomeini’s death, where officials bypassed his written warnings in favor of oral narratives provided by figures like Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the text itself may hold less weight than the political consensus of the day.