Iran History

Who is the Supreme Leader

Head of State, Ali Khamenei (since June 4, 1989)

What is Supreme Leader responsible for

• Expected to act as a trustee of the community (supervising politics and ensuring laws conform to Islam)

• Chief interpreter of Sharia Law

• Sets the political agenda

• Commander in Chief

• Declaration of war

• Issues decrees of national referenda

• Appoints head of  National TV and Radio Stations

• Appoints head of the Judiciary

• Appoints Friday prayer leaders (Video)

  • Muslim men required to attend communal Friday Prayers

• Appts 6 of 12 members of the Guardian Council

• Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, Appointed for life

• Has the authority to dismiss the President, Vice Presidents, and Cabinet Ministers at any time, regardless of Parliament's decisions.

  • Approves candidates for presidential elections

The Assembly of Religious Experts

88 clerics, all men and Islamic scholars.

Assembly of Religious Experts responsible for?

• Originally formed to draft the 1979 constitution 

• Sole function is to select a new Supreme Leader in the event of a death, etc. 

  • If leader is not found, the Assembly can appoint a governing council

• Elected for 8 year terms by people of Iran, through SMDs, candidate with largest number of votes wins, no runoffs (candidates for the Assembly are vetted by the Guardian Council)

• Assembly can remove the Supreme Leader if he fails to discharge his constitutional duties.

The Guardian Council

• Made up of 12 individuals who serve six year phased terms 

  • 6 lawyers nominated by the Chief Justice and approved by the Majlis and

  •  6 clerics, specializing in religious law, are appointed by the Supreme Leader

The Guardian Council powers;

• Legislative Powers:

  • Review all legislation to ensure compatibility with the criteria of Islam and the constitution (advisors).

  • Can send legislation back to the Majlis if legislation is incompatible

  • Expediency Council mediates if Majlis can’t revise the legislation to the Council’s expectations.

• Election Powers:

  • This body can reject any candidate for office (Majlis, Assembly of Experts, and the Presidency)

The Expediency Council

• 32 members, appointed by the Supreme Leader for 5 year terms

• Includes the President, Chief Judge, Speaker of the Majles, and jurist from the Guardian Council

The Expediency Council is responsible for?

• Originally developed to resolve difference b/t the Majilis and the Guardian Council

  • Final decisions by the Council, review of legislation, cannot be overturned. Council can also develop legislation.

• Serves as an Advisor to the Supreme Leader

• Supervises all branches of government

*The Guardian Council and The Expediency Council have substantial power to restrict the work of the Majlis.

Who is the President as of (July 28, 2024)

Masoud Pezeshkian

Role of the President includes;

• Role of Guardian Council in approving candidate

• Directly elected by the people of Iran and can serve only two 4 year terms, 2 round runoff held between 2 candidates with the most votes, unless one receives outright majority in 1st round. 8 year consecutive term limit.

  • Current President faced a runoff

• Note 2009 election of Ebrahim Raisi, push back from Iranians about voter fraud.

• Majority of Presidents have been religious figures, current is former politician and physician

• Responsible for:

  • Drafting the state budget

  • Bureaucracy and civil service

  • Initiating legislation, signs treaties (in charge of foreign policy), laws, and agreements

  • Chairs the National Security Council

  • Can’t veto legislation, can’t dissolve the legislature or call for elections

  • In charge of executing laws, making sure they’re carried out

  • Selects VPs and Cabinet Members

  • Appoints provincial governors, town mayors, and ambassadors

  • Appoints the Cabinet, with Parliament’s approval

Who is 1st Vice President?

Mohammad Reza Aref

Role of VP

• Vice Presidents (14 total), appointed by the President to lead an organization related to Presidential affairs.

• Appointed by the President to lead organizations related to Presidential Affairs (i.e. VP can be Head of the Atomic Energy Organization (a federal department))

• 1st Vice President: 

  • Would become President if President is incapacitated and only if Supreme Leader approves

  • Serve on the President’s Cabinet, leads Cabinet in President’s absence

The Cabinet role:

• Composed of: government officials “ministers” (i.e. Minister of Agriculture), who are chosen by the President, with Parliament’s approval. Cabinet also includes the “Vice Presidents” (~44 Cabinet Members)

  • Most important Ministries include:

    • Culture and Islamic Guidance (controls media and enforces “proper conduct” in public life)

    • Intelligence

    • Heavy Industries (manages nationalized factories)

    • Reconstruction (expands social services and take “true Islam” to countryside)

• President can dismiss cabinet ministers with Parliament’s approval

• President chairs the meetings

• Supreme Leader can dismiss Cabinet members

The Legislative Branch:

• The one institution that stayed since the Shah - the legislature - the Majlis

  • Also known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly

  • Iranian Parliament

A Unicameral Parliament

Members elected directly by the Iranians - anyone over 18 can vote.

• 290 members, SMDs and MMDs, 2 rounds of votings (candidates must receive 25% of the vote to continue to the second round of top 2 candidates). Guardian Council approves candidates.

• 4 year terms, must be 30 years old, 75 years old max (5 guaranteed seats for recognized religious minorities: Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians), and must have the equivalent of a university degree. 

Elections on a non-partisan basis

• (ballots do not have party identification or philosophy)

• Women serve in the Majlis, no longer dominated by clerics - members associated with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard have increased

Limited amount of authority

• Initiating and passing legislation

• Overseeing the budget

• Approving members of the President’s Cabinet (Cabinet members can be removed through votes of no confidence by the Majlis, although Majlis can’t hold a no confidence vote on the President or Supreme Leader)

• Approve provincial leaders, after approved by Guardian Council

How does the legislature relate to divine law?

• The Iranian Constitution addresses the supremacy of God’s law

• Belief that man-made laws are likely to deviate from God’s will

• Thus, the Majlis should legislate in accordance with divine law

The Judicial Branch

• Legal system is derived from religious law, or Sharia

• Qanun - is a law passed by the Majles - may not contradict Sharia Law

• Only clerics (men) may serve as judges (appointed by the President)

• Often have contradicting opinions across courts b/c of varying interpretations of law by the judges

• Thus, many feel courts are the most dysfunctional institutions in Iran

Supreme Court

• Highest Court of Appeal

• Staffed by high ranking clerics, familiar with religious law (42 total)

Chief Justice

• Appointed by the Supreme Leader

• Highest judge on the Supreme Court

• Manages judicial institutions

• Oversee appointment (nominates) and removal of judges

Revolutionary Courts

• (civil and criminal courts)

  • Address cases involving national security (address protests, sentenced on grounds of moharebeh - rebelling against God)

  • Iran falls after China for executing the 2nd highest number of individuals in the world 

Revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran)

• Emerged after 1979 Revolution

  • Referred to after the revolution as the “Corps of the Faithful”, to defend the new regime and destroy rival groups (i.e. Marxists)

  • Defends the regime and is separate from the formal armed forces

• Influential throughout Iran

  • During Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), the Guard expanded it size and began to fight on the front line

    • Able to do so through the Basij (Large young people’s  volunteer militia - was a civil defense force after the revolution)

Basij no longer a military force but a…

• public morality force (preventing public displays of affection, seizing illegal satellite dishes, breaking up protesters, etc.)

  • Present in recent protests and receives orders from Revolutionary Guard and Supreme Leader

• Charged with conducting covert lethal activities outside of Iran

• Role in Iraq Nuclear Program

• Members have substantial economic access and benefits like higher education

Involved in national economy

•  involved in areas of construction, banking, and telecom

Role in Politics

• Leadership is factionalized - contending for economic and political power and support by the Supreme Leader. Thus it’s an obstacle for domestic reform and towards international relations. ⅓ of its members are elected to the Majlis.

Local Government

• Local Councils established with reforms in 1997 (unsuccessful as call for development with past revolutions)

  • 31 ostans or provinces

  • President appoints provincial governors and town mayors

  • Local Officers (counties, districts, townships - each with a council)

    • More than 100,000 officers directly elected across the provinces

    • Candidates must be approved by the Majlis (but review is first done by the Guardian Council)