principalist

The pinning of blame for Iran's post-election turmoil on malign foreign enemies is already under way among so-called principalist, conservative factions.

Anorak News 2009

The term "principalist" is Iranian political jargon for the conservatives who support Khamenei and want to preserve the power of the Supreme Leader.

Anyone but Ahmadinejad 2009

"principalist" who would help distance the supreme leader from the current problems.

open Democracy News Analysis - Comments 2009

We believe that the United States should do all it can to realign its relations with the Islamic Republic while Ahmadinejad is in office because the "price" that Washington has to pay for better relations with Tehran will only increase with time -- regardless of whether Ahmadinejad's successor is perceived as more "reformist" or "principalist".

Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett: Reports of the Green Movement's Demise Have Been Greatly Understated 2010

We believe that the United States should do all it can to realign its relations with the Islamic Republic while Ahmadinejad is in office because the "price" that Washington has to pay for better relations with Tehran will only increase with time -- regardless of whether Ahmadinejad's successor is perceived as more "reformist" or "principalist".

Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett: Reports of the Green Movement's Demise Have Been Greatly Understated Flynt 2010

He calls himself a "reformist principalist" — a phrase that sounds just as vacuous in Farsi as in English.

Anyone but Ahmadinejad 2009

And that reflects in part the uncertainty that we have about what is happening in the Iranian leadership itself; what the debates are, what the camps are within the principalist (ph) movement and what the opposition candidates themselves will do.

CNN Transcript Jun 24, 2009 2009

Kargozaran technocratic faction general secretary says presence of both Khtatami and Karrubi would be catastrophic for the reform movement and detrimental for the cause of reforming the Islamic Republic. parliamentarian Rouhollah Hosseinian says it is doubtful if all the principalist factions will support Ahmadinejad in the 2009 elections.

The Corner 2008