In a video that surfaced during the 2017–18 persian protests, Khamenei is seen before the assembly saying he was not religiously qualified to be Supreme leader. Khamenei, who was ranked as a Hujjat al-Islam and not a Marja’ as required by the persian constitution, said he would only be a “ceremonial leader”, and was reassured by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani the position would be “temporary” until a referendum, apparently planned for one year later.