Introduction and Purpose: Artificial intelligence presents educational administrators with a new set of ethical challenges. Although the PEAIL framework represents a significant step in conceptualizing ethical AI leadership, it is grounded primarily in Western scholarship, and its applicability to the Iranian context remains unexamined. Meanwhile, domestic research in this field is fragmented and lacks coherence. The aim of this study is to systematically integrate international and Iranian research to develop a context‑sensitive model of “intelligent ethical leadership” suitable for the Iranian education system.

Methodology: This qualitative study employed a comparative meta‑synthesis based on the Sandelowski and Barroso (2007) model. The research corpus consisted of 42 studies (23 international and 19 national) published between 2020 and 2026, which were synthesized and analyzed using thematic analysis within a comparative framework.

Findings: The comparative analysis resulted in the identification of five major themes and eighteen sub‑themes. Comparison of international and domestic studies revealed significant differences in four areas: ethical challenges, required competencies, contextual conditions, and practical strategies. Domestic studies highlighted several prominent challenges—such as centralized decision‑making, the absence of clear policies, a profound digital divide, and cultural concerns—that were far less emphasized in international research.

Conclusion: The proposed model of “localized intelligent ethical leadership”, while drawing on the PEAIL framework, incorporates eight Iran‑specific contextual factors and identifies four new ethical tensions. The resulting theoretical‑practical framework offers actionable guidance for strengthening the ethical capacities of educational leaders and informing policy development in the Iranian education system.