Discourse Analysis of Economic Justice in the Ahmadinejad Administration and Its Tensions with the Intellectual Framework of Imam Khomeini

Objective: In the contemporary era, economic security, as one of the fundamental and vital pillars of national security, has assumed a central position in the strategic planning of nations. The Islamic Republic of Iran, in recent decades, has faced extensive economic threats, including unprecedented sanctions, which has multiplied the need for conceptual and policy clarity in this domain. The present study aims to clarify the relationship between the economic policies of the ninth and tenth administrations (Ahmadinejad period) and the components of economic security within the intellectual framework of Imam Khomeini.Method: The research employs a comparative‑analytical method grounded in discourse theory. Components of economic security were extracted from Imam Khomeini’s thought through thematic analysis of his statements and assessed using a three‑level model (normative principles, declared policies, structural outcomes) in relation to the most prominent economic policies of the Ahmadinejad government, such as the Targeted Subsidies Plan, Small and Rapid-Return Enterprises, and Justice Shares.Findings: Findings indicate that the dominant discourse of the Ahmadinejad administration, centered on the nodal point of "Economic Justice," sought, at the declarative and normative levels, to position itself as an extension of Imam Khomeini’s thought. However, at the levels of implementation and structural outcomes, tensions emerged, including the expansion of slogan‑driven approaches over pragmatism, the weakening of planning and legal institutions, extensive and non‑expert governmental intervention in the market, and the lack of systematic utilization of national scientific capacities, developments that stand in contrast to principles such as rule of law, public participation, production‑orientation, and economic independence in Imam Khomeini’s thought.Conclusion: This study also acknowledges the role of external sanctions as a structural variable influencing the economic outcomes of this period and emphasizes the necessity of distinguishing between consequences arising from domestic policy and those resulting from external pressures

کلیدواژه ها:

Economic security ، discourse ، Ahmadinejad Administration ، Imam Khomeini ، Comparative Policy