The Iranian government implemented a new retirement law in September intended to abolish a decades-long practice of re-employing public sector managers already past retirement age, making room for young Iranians in the sector.

From the outset, controversy surrounded the law and its implementation as it excluded the president, presidential deputies, the judiciary chief, lawmakers, members of the Guardian Council, top military commanders and those who could win a special exemption from the country's supreme leader.

"They approach me for a solution and in some cases … I accept the request if I know them or if I trust their superiors," said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a speech addressing a clerical class in Tehran Dec. 4. While expressing praise for the law in principle, he found faults with rare cases in which he said a manager is equipped with valuable experience and expertise but has to retire under the law.

The supreme leader called on parliamentarians to review the law and craft an amendment that could lead to more inclusive exceptions. It took the parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, only a few hours to direct the parliament's research body to start drafting the amendment.