Who leads Iran?

Marty Peretz makes a sensible point:

A story by Parisa Hafezi at Reuters knocks the wind out of the expectation that, if Dr. A’jad loses his re-election campaign, Iran’s nuclear policy will be changed. These matters rest in the head and hands of the Ayatollah Al Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, successor to the revolutionary founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini.

Well, it’s a sort-of-sensible point. I’m not sure how many people really think that Iran’s nuclear policy might change, regardless of the result of the elections. However, it is important that more people understand that Ahmadinejad is not the man in charge when it comes to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. That being the case, treating his incendiary, hateful, foolish rhetoric as proof that Iran is preparing to annihilate Israel makes little to no sense at all. Upsetting and worrying? Sure. Proof that Iran is hell-bent on the destruction of Israel and, thus, on its own demise? Not so much.