The important post of heading the Assembly of Experts is now up for grabs, with the former assembly chair, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, having failed in his bid to be re-elected to the body Feb. 26. The new assembly leader will have an influential role in determining the next supreme leader, should the occasion arise, and in dictating national talking points.

Yazdi did not mince words in his last speech as a member and chairman of the assembly, delivered March 8. He warned that the nature of the Islamic Republic's governing system must be preserved and that one should be wary of the enemy’s smile, the latter a clear message to President Hassan Rouhani.

“In the Islamic Republic system, members of the Assembly of Experts, in addition to determining the supreme leader, have to take care of the guardianship of the jurist ruling system so that it does not change,” Yazdi said. He did not specify what change should be guarded against, but one constant concern has been defining the powers of the supreme leader.

In regard to Rouhani’s attempts to reduce tensions with other countries, including the United States, Yazdi said, “Do not become happy with the enemy’s smile.” He referred to the United States as a “known enemy” that on a number of occasions has broken promises, cautioning Rouhani not to be fooled by their smiles.