Trying to understand how Iran’s government works can feel a bit like opening a watch and discovering a maze of gears inside. At the center sits the supreme leader, the country’s most powerful figure, but he’s surrounded by a web of councils, assemblies, and elected officials that all play different roles in running the Islamic Republic. With leadership changes and rising international tensions drawing new attention to Iran’s political structure, many people are asking a simple question: who actually runs the country? The answer is complicated—and it involves far more moving parts than a single ruler.