Book excerpt: In his riveting new book, Majid Mohammadi, an Iranian sociologist and political analyst renowned for his publications on Iranian affairs, deconstructs the complicated office structure of the Iranian supreme leader. His seminal publication provides readers with in-depth insights into Khamenei’s office, its internal workings, decision-making processes, the cornerstone of its power, and much more. It explores the hidden world of the Leader’s office, demonstrating its complete monopolization over decision-making, bringing to light the powerbrokers that lie in the shadows. This unique publication is a must-read to understand Iranian politics and goes beyond the existing literature on Iran by exploring the opaque world of the Leader’s office, shedding light on its extensive operations and its management of day-to-day Iranian affairs. The eight-chapter book reveals the functions of the Leader’s office by providing an in-depth account of its tasks ranging from handling Khamenei’s meetings to international outreach and managing oil contracts; how the office operates with a look at the strategies and tactics regularly employed such as cronyism, secrecy, and fiefdom; the organizational system of the office is studied, highlighting the different approaches adopted including the mafia and politburo systems. In addition to this, the structure of the office and its top leadership are rigorously analyzed; the management model of the Leader’s office and its legal status in the Iranian Constitution are also examined; finally, the manner in which the Leader’s authority is channeled and how the institutions under the Leader’s office operate are scrutinized. This publication provides detailed insights and uncovers a juggernaut which many people are unaware of, particularly its size, the extent and nature of its operations, calling into question the actual role and purpose of Iran’s elected institutions, highlighting the power struggles between the Leader’s office and Iran’s elected institutions.