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

2. The Role of the Clergy in Economic Control
Unlike many secular governments, the Islamic Republic places numerous high-ranking clerics (Ayatollahs and Hujjat al-Islams) in key governmental and quasi-governmental positions. They head the Judiciary, the Guardian Council, the Expediency Council, and numerous state-affiliated institutions. This immediate fusion of religious authority and executive power provides an unprecedented cover for financial misconduct. Allegations of corruption, when directed at a cleric, can be more easily dismissed as attacks on the religious foundation of the state itself, creating a shield of sanctity around financial dealings that would be scrutinized in a secular environment.