In many cases the reaction has been harsh, a backlash carried out by and on behalf of the clerics who have ruled Iran for almost 20 years.

But it also reopens a thorny question: Who is fit to rule Iran in the post-Khomeini era?

With Murshid gone, Abbas could now rule Iran in his own right.

Vishtaspa ruled Iran after his father.

These Turkic tribesmen have, in fact, ruled Iran for long stretches of its history.

It expresses an entire region's judgment on prolonging slaughter ordained by the angry old men who rule Iran.

The crown jewels were last used by the Pahlavi dynasty, the last to rule Iran.

The principality ruled western Iran and upper Mesopotamia.

This fractured power base means that many people actually rule Iran.

From the start, the Islamic revolutionaries who now rule Iran have used modern technology to spread their message.