Iran Vocab

Theocracy

A government ruled by religious leaders or based on religious laws.

Supreme Leader

The highest authority in Iran, with control over the military, judiciary, and media.

Guardian Council

A group of clerics and jurists that approves laws and candidates for office in Iran.

Expediency Council

A council that resolves disputes between the Guardian Council and the Majles (parliament).

Majles

Iran’s parliament, responsible for making laws.

Assembly of Religious Experts

A group that selects and can remove the Supreme Leader.

Basij

A volunteer militia in Iran that enforces Islamic values and suppresses protests.

Shia Islam

A branch of Islam that believes leadership should come from descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.

Zoroastrian

A follower of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion.

Ba’hai

A religious minority in Iran that believes in unity and progressive revelation; often persecuted.

Farsi

The Persian language spoken in Iran.

Kurds

An ethnic group in Iran and neighboring countries, seeking greater autonomy.

Azeri

A Turkic ethnic group living in Iran and Azerbaijan.

White Revolution (1953)

A series of reforms by the Shah of Iran to modernize and westernize the country.

Islamic Revolution of Iran (1979)

The overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini.

Velyat-e Faqih (jurist’s guardianship)

The idea that Islamic clerics should rule because they best understand Islamic law.

Marja

A high-ranking Shia cleric who provides religious guidance.

Bonyads

Charitable foundations in Iran that control large portions of the economy but lack transparency.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard

A military force separate from the regular army that protects Iran’s Islamic system.

“Dual Rule” (Iran-specific)

The system where both religious leaders and elected officials share power.

Ayatollah Khamenei

Iran’s current Supreme Leader since 1989.

OPEC

A group of oil-producing countries, including Iran, that coordinates oil production and prices.

Revolutionary Guard (Iran)

Another name for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, which enforces religious and political control.

Rentier state

A country that relies on selling natural resources (like oil) rather than taxes for revenue.

Multimember district

A voting district where multiple representatives are elected instead of just one.

Shah

The title for a king in Iran before the 1979 revolution.

Unitary

A government system where power is concentrated at the national level rather than shared with local governments.

Separation of Power

The division of government responsibilities among different branches to prevent any one from becoming too powerful.

Checks and Balance

A system where different branches of government can limit each other’s power.

Brain drain

When educated and skilled workers leave a country for better opportunities elsewhere.

Welfare state

A government that provides extensive social services like healthcare, education, and financial aid to its citizens.