The death of Grand Ayatollah Hosein Ali Montazeri was good news for Iran's supreme leader, Seyyed Ali Khamenei. With his passing, one of his biggest religious opponents is now out of the way.
Khamenei's animosity towards Montazeri ran deep – in fact it was personal. Montazeri had dared question his religious credentials. What really angered Iran's supreme leader is the fact that Montazeri had a valid point. Khamenei is not a real ayatollah. He never completed a resaleye amalie (equivalent to a PhD dissertation for Shia religious students), nor did he pass the 20 years or so required to reach the grade of ayatollah, from the mid-level ranking of hojatoleslam. He was upgraded in a space of three months (some have even suggested one night), prior to being appointed as supreme leader.
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