Ayatollah Montazeri, the most outspoken critic of the Iranian government condemned what he called the "strategic use" of tearing Ayatollah Khomeini's picture by the establishment. "By doing this you are defaming him (Ayatollah Khomeini) and saying that people would tear Imam Khomeini's picture. If anything, you should have kept it silent! "he maintained.

People in the know in Iran report that the hottest subject of discussion among Iranian conservative leaders these days is the issue of who is to succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is said to be suffering from leukemia. The same individuals report that the person most likely to take Khamenei's mantle is Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the powerful chief of the Judiciary, whose tenure is scheduled to end within weeks.