In Qom there is no formal method of conducting business.
The direct, personal relationship which Khomeini has main-
tained with the masses has rendered abortive all attempts at
creating some sort of real political life in Iran. Every morning
his supporters come to him from all over Iran, in buses, taxis,
any way they can manage. He greets them from the roof of his
house, and has a brief dialogue with their leader....^55Khomeini’s headquarters were heavily guarded by revolution-
aries. Visitors had to submit to a series of body searches and
hand over all personal items, even keys and rings, before they
were admitted into the ayatollah’s presence. A sophisticated
security system covered the yards and buildings. Antiaircraft
guns surrounded the compound. Defense personnel had orders
to shoot down any aircraft in the area.
On the minds of everyone was an uncertain future. What
would become of the nation and its government after the death
of Khomeini, who was now in his eighties and suffering from
heart disease? Who could possibly replace him? The ayatollah,
after all, was a mere mortal despite his iron grip on Iran. His
health became a subject of speculation immediately after
the revolution. After 1982, he rarely made public appearances.
People openly wondered why. Did he consider it beneath his
dignity? Or was he physically unable to move about freely?
In 1985, a panel known as the Council of Experts proposed that
Ayatollah Husein Ali Montazeri be named heir to Khomeini’s
role. Montazeri, already in his sixties, had been a close follower
of Khomeini through the years of upheaval. He was considered
somewhat more moderate than his teacher, more willing to
compromise. Nevertheless, he clearly followed the ayatollah’s
political views and had become a principal leader of the ulema.
As it turned out, Montazeri became critical of the new govern-
ment. Because of this, he fell from favor. In 1989, just months
before Khomeini’s death, he was stripped of his authority.
The Islamic Republic of Iran maintained its animosity toward
the United States, not just because the United States had
A Troubled Decade 75