And the Winner in Iran is…Ayatollah Khamenei

One of the most dangerous regimes on the planet – the Islamic Republic of Iran – will hold presidential elections today. Even though the race is increasingly closely contested, the winner is already known, and he’s not even a candidate.

That would be Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s so-called Supreme Leader.

The only suspense is whether the incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani, remains in office. It appears the aging and ailing Khamenei may want him replaced by one of his trusted, hard-line fellow clerics – and a possible successor as Supreme Leader – Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi.

Make no mistake, under either man, Iran will be a great and growing threat. At least that will be more obvious if – instead of a phony, so-called “moderate” like Rouhani – it’s President Raisi, whose elevation will make it impossible to pretend we can do business with the mullahs in Tehran.