Iran Final

1st Republic; radicalization; Ayatollah Khomeini; Institutionalising the revolution at home (Velayat-e-Faghih); Exporting the revolution abroad

1979–1989

2nd Republic; reconstruction; Legitimacy crisis succession Ayatollah Komeini; concept of Marja-e-Taghlid; Pragmatism; Approaching the West; Critical dialogue Iran and EU (1992-1996); President Rafsanjani

1989–1997

3rd Republic; reform; khatami; Internal political reforms (Rule of law, Civil Society); Dialogue between civilisations; Constructive dialogue between Iran and EU (1997- 2005); Start of nuclear dispute

1997–2005

4th Republic; backlash; green movement; nuclear impasse

2005–2013

5th Republic; pragmatism; President Rohani; flirting with war w/ Trump; iran/boeing; diplomacy

2013–2021

6th Republic; President Raisi; resistance economy; Iran/ Israel/US escalation of proxy-conflict; growing cooperation with Russia and China

2021–2024

7th Republic

2024–present

Islamic Republic of Iran govt

Theocratic Republic with a presidential system; elected General Assembly elects head of state of Iran (the Supreme Leader) who is always an ayatollah or recognized religious authority

Executive

Supreme Leader (Ayatollah): head of state and highest ranking political and religious authority in Iran; appointed for life; has the final say on all matters; commander-in-chief of the armed forces

President: the highest authority after the Supreme Leader (his/her power is limited by the Supreme Leader); head of government

Legislature

Two components, a unicameral parliamentary chamber called Islamic Consultative Assembly and a reviewing power, the Guardian Council of the Constitution which is more powerful (veto)

US Hostage Crisis

diplomatic crisis where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from Nov. 4 1979 to Jan. 20, 1981, after a group of islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian revolution + demanding extradition of Shah from US who had been accepted by Carter for cancer treatment

Guardianship of the Jurist

supports notion that senior clerics have best capacity to rule in a Muslim society

Hussein-Ali Montazeri

ousted 1989 after Khomeini’s death after he called for "an open assessment of failures" of the Revolution and an end to efforts to export it

Ali Khamenei

constitution changed so he could be supreme leader; ruled 1989 until death 2026 Iran war; lacking religious credentials he used "other means, such as patronage, media propaganda, and the security apparatus" to establish his power

reputation of guardianship

Significantly decreased in 21st century; “Death to velayat-e faqih” chants during protests in which 1,500 protesters were killed by security forces (late 2019 and early 2020)

iraq-iran war

Attempt by Saddam Hussein to take advantage of perceived post-revolutionary military weakness (leadership executed)/Revolution's unpopularity with Western governments + oil; $627 bil cost and 200k Iranians; solidified Khomeini; 8 years but Iran chose to continue after the first 2; neither borders nor regimes changed

US three concerns about Iran

support for terrorism, nuclear weapons research, and opposition to Israel