Cleric Seddiqi Accused of Transferring Seminary Land to Family-Owned Company

10. The Path Forward: Lack of Accountability
Ultimately, the persistent problem of elite corruption in post-1979 Iran stems from a fundamental lack of independent accountability. Key institutions that should serve as checks—the Judiciary, the state-run media, and the Guardian Council—are all controlled by the very networks they are meant to oversee. Without a truly free press, independent anti-corruption bodies, and a mechanism to investigate the opaque financial holdings of the powerful Bonyads and clerical officials, the systemic corruption that has metastasized since the revolution is likely to continue to be a defining characteristic of the Islamic Republic's political economy.