Iran leaders in 'disarray' struggle to close ranks over protests, experts say

The unrest poses a grave threat to the priority that has defined Khamenei's rule

Iran's clerical rulers are eager to crush mass anti-government protests, but maneuvering over the eventual succession to the supreme leader and rifts over security tactics have complicated efforts to curb the unrest, three analysts and an official said, Qazet.az reports.

The ever bolder protests, sparked by the death of a woman in police custody, have put Iran's leaders on the defensive, with officials apparently unable to close ranks behind an agreed response to the turmoil, the analysts and the official said.

Challenging the legitimacy of Iran's top authority, protesters have this month burned pictures of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called for the downfall of the Islamic Republic and chanted "Death to the Dictator", unfazed by security forces using tear gas, clubs and, in some cases, live ammunition.

The unrest poses a grave threat to the priority that has defined Khamenei's rule -- the survival of the four-decade-old Islamic Republic and its religious establishment, at any cost.