Legal Clarification of the System's Dilemmas Settlement in the Constitutional Law Order of Iran

The term “System's Dilemmas Settlement" is used in the Article 110 (8) of the Constitution as one of the duties and powers of the Supreme Leader. There are some uncertainties regarding this clause, such as the official body and the criterion for declaring and identifying the dilemma, as well as the final entity to provide the solution in respect of that dilemma. These ambiguities will be examined with a descriptive-analytic method in this article. In this regard, due to the detailed deliberations of the Revision Council of the Constitution, it becomes apparent that any dilemma unresolvable through ordinary ways, will be solved by the Leader through the State Expediency Council. Besides, in accordance with the standing order of the State Expediency Council and its practical precedent, in case the Supreme Leader identifies an issue as a dilemma, it will be referred to the State Expediency Council. Hence, the Council cannot directly interfere in a subject as a dilemma settlement, unless the subject is referred to it. The State Expediency Council based on the standing order is recognized as a supreme advisory council for the Leader in solving the dilemmas. Furthermore, the practical precedent indicates the Supreme Leader acts in the manner in which the State Expediency Council presents; although, in some cases, he may conditionally enforce it.