Political pressure builds on Supreme Leader behind the scenes in Iran

While demonstrations and rallies continue to be held throughout Iran, political pressure is building behind the scenes on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseyni Khamenei, who has ruled the nation since 1989. Even though Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won Friday’s controversial election to be re-elected president, ultimate power belongs to Khamenei, who just recently ordered for an election investigation while Ahmadinejad went to a summit in Russia.

Reza Aslan, an Iranian-American writer and commentator, reported Tuesday night on CNN that the Assembly of Experts – a senior group of Iranian clerics who have the power to overthrow Khamenei – have called for an emergency meeting to discuss options.

Twitterers are buzzing about the development and the prospect to remove the Supreme Leader.

NoExpAffiliates (Iran) Rasfanjani and the Assembly of Experts should now move to oust the Grand Ayatollah for supporting a fraudulent election. #iranelection 16 Jun 2009 from web

1ai1a (Tehran, Iran) reza aslan says very foundation of iran is at stake- b/c of meeting of assembly of experts to discuss khamenei #iranelection 17 Jun 2009 from web

twistedpuppet (Tehran, Iran) RT Iran Very Powerful clerics are Meeting in Qom for emergency Talks, supposedly to overthrow the Supreme Leader Khamenei #iranelection 17 Jun 2009 from web

HenryNewman (London, U.K./New York, N.Y.) #iranelection Reza Aslan on CNN suggests emergency meeting is happening in Qom – can Khamenei be dismissed? 17 Jun 2009 from web

This coincided with news that Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a senior cleric who was part of the 1979 Revolution and was once speculated to be Supreme Leader himself, has denounced the election results, per The Huffington Post. Twitterers also took note of this development.

nihilaliud (Undisclosed) RT, IRAN: It has become clear that Khamenei is no longer supported by Montazeri – #Iranelection 17 Jun 2009 from web

jmsardo (Lyon/Paris, France) Are clerics splitting? Sources: Montazeri, former candidate to the Ayatollah succession has withdrawn support from Khamenei #iranelection 17 Jun 2009 from TweetDeck

peterkaveh (Tabriz, Iran) Ayatollah Montazeri is a pro-Democracy, pro-Human Rights Ayatollah who was at one point on the short list of possible successors of Khomeini 17 Jun 2009 from web

myoshin (Washington, D.C.) Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri: “No one in their right mind can believe” the official election results in Iran. That’s HUGE. 17 Jun 2009 from web