ABSTRACT
The political system in 1987 functioned under the shadow of a fierce power struggle among Khomeyni's disciples. The dearth of reliable information made it difficult for outsiders to assess accurately the particular ideologies of the various groupings, the personal affiliation of the contenders, or the support each of them had within the leadership or with the public at large. Education was another major field in which conditions steadily deteriorated. The rapid expansion of academic education led to a lowering of standards but even so growing numbers of high-school graduates failed to be admitted to university. Oil revenues still made it possible for the government to continue running the state while financing the war. The revolutionary drive and the war with Iraq molded Tehran's foreign relations in 1987, just as they had since 1980. Iranian "relations" with the US deteriorated to their lowest level since the 1979 hostage crisis.
