-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For almost a week , tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in daily protests -- handkerchiefs shielding their faces from the pungency of tear gas , fists punching the air , and chants of `` Down with the dictator '' echoing against buildings . Moussovi supporters rally Wednesday in Tehran , Iran . Released by Fars News Agency of Iran . The massive outpouring is a result of a disputed presidential election that the protesters think coronated the incumbent hard-liner , President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , over their candidate , Mir Hossain Moussavi . Context can help put their grievances into perspective : Q . The Iran that we know today is the result of the Islamic Revolution . What is it ? A . The Islamic Revolution is the name given to the Iranian revolution of 1979 , when the ruling U.S.-supported monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile . See timeline of recent Iranian history '' The country held a national referendum to become an Islamic republic and approve a new constitution . The constitution was a hybrid of democracy and unelected religious leadership . It appointed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- the leader of the revolution -- the supreme leader of the country . Before he died in 1989 , he made it known that he wanted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to succeed him . Q. Is it true that the ultimate power in Iran lies with Khamenei ? A. Yes . The supreme leader has the final say in all important matters of the country , such as ties with foreign nations or Iran 's nuclear aspirations . He appoints the Guardian Council -- the country 's election authority . He also appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces , including the powerful Revolutionary Guard . Additionally , he confirms the president 's election . In theory , the supreme leader is appointed by a body of clerics whom voters elect . But in practice , this body -- the Assembly of Experts -- has answered to the supreme leader . Khamenei , 70 , was appointed supreme leader for life in 1989 . Q . What is the Guardian Council , which has been in the news , saying it will recount some of the votes in the disputed election ? A . The unelected Guardian Council is the second-most influential body in Iran politics . It consists of six theologians whom the supreme leader picks and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament . The council approves all candidates running for office in the country , and verifies election results . It vetoes bills passed by the parliament if they do not conform to the constitution and Islamic law . In the present crisis , opposition leader Moussavi has had to take his grievance to the Guardian Council . It has agreed to some vote recounts . See galleries of protests in Iran '' Q. So , how much power does the president wield ? A . It depends on how nicely he plays with the Guardian Council . The president is elected by direct vote to a four-year term , for a maximum of two terms . He is responsible for economic policy and social programs , but most of the larger decisions are made by the supreme leader . In theory , his powers are second to the supreme leader 's . But in practice , he is often hamstrung by the Guardian Council . The Guardian Council has worked with hard-liner Ahmadinejad , a 53-year-old former mayor of Tehran who was elected in 2005 . But it thwarted reform attempts by his predecessor , Mohammad Khatami . Q . What is the Revolutionary Guard , who said they will take legal action against pro-Moussavi Web sites ? A . The guard was initially created to protect the leaders of the revolution . But over the years , it has broadened its scope . Today , it is directly under the control of the supreme leader and enforces the governments ' Islamic codes and morality With more than 200,000 members , it is tasked with overseeing the country 's crucial interests , including guarding its oil fields and missile arsenals . Q . What is the Basij , who are said to be behind most of the violence against opposition supporters ? A . The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard . It plays the role of de facto morality police and is often summoned to crack down on protests . It is unknown how large the force is , though estimates are in the millions . Q . What evidence is there of ballot fraud ? A . There are no concrete examples of fraud , because independent monitors did not oversee polling in Iran , but the circumstantial evidence is persuasive . The government had initially said it would take three days to verify the ballots after Election Day on June 12 . But the election authority proclaimed Ahmadinejad the winner two hours after the polls closed . At the same time , the interior ministry said that 85 percent of the country 's 46 million eligible voters had cast ballots -- a record turnout . To many , so many ballots could not have been hand-counted in such a short time . Also , the published results showed that Ahmadinejad won even in his opponents ' strongholds , including Moussavi 's hometown of ethnic Azeri Turks . `` This is the equivalent of Barack Obama losing the African-American vote to John McCain in 2008 , '' said Karim Sajadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace . Furthermore , Moussavi went into the election with massive support from the country 's youth , who were unhappy with the faltering economy and an unemployment rate that tops 30 percent by some accounts . The youth make up 60 percent of Iran 's population of 70 million . Q. Is it true that Ahmadinejad still enjoys widespread support ? A. Yes . Ahmadinejad is popular across Iran 's rural areas and among the Basij militia . He presents himself as a populist and a fighter . He has paid attention to the families of the bloody Iran-Iraq war , offering special preferences to veterans ' children in university admissions . As president , his hardline approach has won him support among the Guardian Council . He has earned a reputation internationally as a fundamentalist for his Holocaust denials , calls to annihilate Israel , and cat-and-mouse games with the United States and the United Nations over Iran 's nuclear activities . Many in the establishment view him as someone who does not cower to big-footing by the West . Q. Why , then , do some analysts think the vote was manipulated ? A . Some experts say that even if it is likely that Ahmadinejad won the election , it is unlikely he could have won by the margin the government is claiming -- 62.63 percent of the vote . Time magazine 's Joe Klein explains it this way : `` It is entirely possible that Ahmadinejad would have won anyway , but narrowly , perhaps with less than 50 percent of the vote , setting up a runoff election he might have lost as the other candidates united against him . It is possible that his government , perhaps acting in concert with supreme leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei , decided to take no chances . '' Q . Why is Iran 's population so young ? A . After the revolution , the leaders encouraged early marriage and large families , rewarding families with cars and television sets for each additional child . During the country 's devastating eight-year war with Iraq , which began in 1980 , the regime continued encouraging population growth , because more children meant more future soldiers . It is those children who are now coming of age . Q . Why did Iran summon Switzerland 's ambassador to complain about perceived U.S. involvement in Iran 's election process ? A . The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran following the hostage crisis in 1979 , when students in support of the Islamic Revolution took 52 Americans hostage and held them for 444 days . Q. Is this movement a challenge to the Islamic republic ? A . The demonstrators say their demand is simple : Hold fresh elections . They say they are not out to challenge the Islamic regime . Watch protests Wednesday in Tehran '' Furthermore , Moussavi is an unlikely man for the job . Though the 67-year-old former prime minister is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy as prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war , he also was a hard-liner whom the Economist described as a `` firm radical . '' He , like most Iranians in power , does not believe in the existence of Israel . He defended the taking of the American hostages in 1979 . He was part of a regime that regularly executed dissidents . And as late as April , he opposed suspending the country 's nuclear-enrichment program but said it would not be diverted to weapons use . The protests have exposed a fissure in the country , however , with tens of thousands of Ahmadinejad backers taking to the streets in a show of force of their own . Q. Are the current protests likely to continue ? A. For now , the government seems to be allowing the populace to vent pent-up frustrations . But it also is gradually cracking down , such as blocking Web sites and banning international journalists from filming the rallies . The demonstrations have so far been focused on urban areas . Should the populace in rural areas take up the call for reform , the government might step in quickly to quash the protests , analysts say . See map of demonstration sites in Tehran '' Q. Is this the first time Iranians have risen up in mass protests against the regime ? A. No . Iran has twice seen public calls for reform in recent years : in 1999 , after the closing of a reformist newspaper , and after parliamentary elections in 2000 . On both occasions , the Revolutionary Guard descended on the streets after a few days and crushed the movements . Q. So , can true reform come to Iran ? A . It is possible . Ahmadinejad 's predecessor , Khatami , was elected president in 1997 by a landslide , despite being a reformer . During his two terms , he championed freedom of expression , tried to mend diplomatic relations , and supported a free market . He was , however , hamstrung at every step by stiff resistance from the supreme leader and the Guardian Council . This report includes information from various sources , including the U.S. State Department , the CIA Factbook , Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , previous CNN reports and guest commentaries .