At War on All Fronts

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For all the speculation about Khomeini's successor, the Ayatullah remains very much the spiritual force behind the Iranian revolution. Reportedly afflicted with a weakening heart and prostate cancer, Khomeini nonetheless grants public audiences, meets weekly with the families of martyrs and even performs Islamic marriage ceremonies. On most days, though, he remains secluded in his house in north Tehran, emerging from time to time to issue the whispery proclamations that echo around the world. Intimates say the Ayatullah yearns to ensure that the revolution will survive long after he is gone. That may not be possible, given the nation's fractious politics and the fact that none of the potential successors possesses Khomeini's ability to mesmerize the country. But for now, the brooding leader remains a formidable force, an old man who can at will command the attention of both the superpowers and all of his Arab neighbors. As he first proved eight years ago and continues to prove, the Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini has transformed Iran into a state that the world must reckon with.