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Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, sought to chart out an independent course for Iran in regional and global affairs: 'neither East, nor West, the Islamic Republic.' Khomeini's successors have often attempted to compromise with the West by undertaking economic reforms aimed at reintegrating Iran into the imperialistic capitalist world economy. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed in mid-July 2015, brings Iran new opportunities but it also greatly compromises the ideological, philosophical and economic foundations of Khomeini's Islamic Republic. After four decades of anti-imperialist struggle, Iran has now largely come back to the fold of imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thirteen years Khomeini spent in exile in the Iraqi shrine city of Najaf is still a littleknown page of his life. Based on a collection of published interviews with Iranian clerics, this article explores the social mechanisms of his growing authority, both as a religious scholar and a revolutionary figure. His leadership practices were, the article argues, a mirror of his position of in-betweenness characterized by his physical presence in Najaf and his continued attachment to the home country. The social dynamics at work inside the Iraqi seminaries are explored first to situate Khomeini in his place of exile. While he was kept at a distance by Najaf's most influential clerical groups, he also had access to a social base of his own, a group of supporters composed mainly of Iranian students and low-ranking scholars. The local and transnational development of Khomeini's religio-political leadership is addressed next. His scholarly and social activities among Najaf's community of learning allowed him to consolidate and spread his religious influence. His political activities were less overt than generally assumed; he kept a low profile in Najaf's public sphere yet maintained a political presence transnationally through his network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the political leadership of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini. Topics include political divisions in Iran during the 1978 to 1979 revolution, Khomeini's role in turning Iran into an Islamic state, and Khomeini's personality in relation to his purported authoritarian leadership of Iran. His role in the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis during 1979 to 1981 is noted.