Asghar Farhadi is a master at portraying ordinary human stories in a country that is often viewed through the narrow lens of politics. He delicately shifts the attention away from politics to powerful and universal emotions and experiences.

One of the first regionally significant missions was to help to establish Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982 after Israeli invasion. The Quds Force provided essential assistance for the creation Hezbollah which developed into the most powerful organization in Lebanon and a powerful ally of Iran. In recent years, the Quds Force has operated in many other countries like Syria and worked with other sub-state actors such Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in Palestine.

During his campaign, Rouhani promised to open up the political space and adopt a rational foreign policy. Raisi primarily focused on pro-poor economic programmes. In many ways, his visions and ideas echoed those of the supreme leader: anti-Western sentiment, social conservatism and a ‘revolutionary’ approach to both the economy and foreign policy.

The judiciary under Larijani’s leadership has been found to be fraught with widespread corruption, which the supreme leader has acknowledged, resulting in the dismissals of judges and lawyers, and which marks the continued battle for power between the various political branches and alliances.

Isa Saharkhiz, Iranian journalist and political activist, was arrested several times for his open criticism of the Islamic Republic. There are now serious concerns for his health. Although he suffers from several ailments, prison authorities refuse him access to the medical treatment required to improve his poor physical state. Saharkhiz is an outspoken critic of the policies of the Islamic Republic. Dubbed a reformist, he is now caught up in the escalating factional in-fighting that has the hardliners targeting all political and intellectual leaders

General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds (Jerusalem) Force,has played an active role in many conflicts in the Middle East, especially in the Levant, while generally trying to maintain a low profile. His methods have been a blend of military intervention through ideological proxies and hard-nosed strategic diplomacy.