The Transnational and Anti-Colonial Dimensions of Islamic State-Building With Emphasis on the Political Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei

Taheri Khosroshahi, Mohammad Hossein

doi:10.22034/irsj.2026.243507

The Transnational and Anti-Colonial Dimensions of Islamic State-Building With Emphasis on the Political Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohammad Hossein Taheri Khosroshahi

Ph.D Politics, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/irsj.2026.243507

Abstract

Examining the transnational dimensions of “Islamic state-building” and offering an anti-colonial reading of the “roadmap of the Revolution” constitutes a national imperative for Iran in the present historical juncture. The central question is: What relationship exists between Ayatollah Khamenei’s strategic assessment of the system of domination and his definition of the state-building stage within the revolutionary roadmap? The core argument posits that defining the state-building stage represents a strategic measure aimed at laying the foundations for an alternative to the colonial administration of the world. Accordingly, transformation in the ethos and operational methods of political agents, as well as reform of domestic structures and institutional models, must necessarily be pursued with global dimensions in mind in order to play a decisive role in the transition toward a “new order.” The level of analysis is analytical–comparative, juxtaposing Ayatollah Khamenei’s views on colonialism with postcolonial theoretical frameworks. The findings demonstrate intertextual affinities between his anti-hegemonic perspective and postcolonial studies, particularly regarding the two key concepts of “coloniality of power” and “epistemic sovereignty.” This innovative reading, on the one hand, clarifies the requirements for decolonizing the modern authoritarian state, and on the other, contributes to preventing reductionist or simplistic interpretations of the Islamic Revolution’s roadmap.

Keywords

Political thought of Ayatollah Khamenei

Islamic state-building

Decolonization

Coloniality of power

Epistemic sovereignty