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Meet the new generation of Iranian hard-liners

A young generation of hard-liners is beginning to challenge the old guard, taking tougher positions on political issues while being more open on cultural affairs.

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Vahid Jalili (C), a prominent figure among the new generation of hard-liners, attends an event in Mashhad, Iran. Posted Jan. 22, 2017. — Twitter/@vahidjalili_ir

Hard-liners in Iran face the key challenge of a new generation questioning the approach being taken by the old guard. Members of the younger generation, unlike their older peers, are challenging anyone who acts against their expectations, even including when that person happens to be Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, the most popular figure in the conservative camp.

Traditional Iranian hard-liners are broadly characterized by their anti-Americanism and opposition to engagement with the West, desire for "revolutionary" foreign relations and opposition to any form of liberalism promoted by Reformists. In short, they have a general intolerance toward cultural and political change.

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