The Supreme Leader is elected by the Assembly of Experts, a body composed of Islamic scholars. He is authorized to define and supervise the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is responsible for safeguarding the interests of Islam. According to the doctrine articulated in Khomeini’s Islamic Government, religion and politics are inseparable in Islam. Therefore, the Supreme Leader is not only a religious authority but also the highest political authority in the country.
Duties of the Supreme Leader and the Assembly of Experts
The Supreme Leader holds extensive powers within Iran’s political system. These include determining the general policies of the state in consultation with the Expediency Discernment Council, supervising the implementation of these policies, and deciding on national referendums. The Supreme Leader also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, with the authority to declare war, peace, and mobilization. Among his key responsibilities are appointing the members of the Expediency Discernment Council and six of the twelve members of the Guardian Council. He also has the authority to appoint or dismiss the head of the judiciary, the head of the national radio and television organization, the Chief of the General Staff, the commander of the regular army, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the commanders of the land, naval, and air forces. Additionally, the Supreme Leader is responsible for resolving disputes among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and for ensuring coordination among them. Disagreements related to the regime are addressed in consultation with the Expediency Discernment Council. The Supreme Leader also approves the election of the President and has the authority to dismiss the President when the necessary conditions arise. Furthermore, he possesses the power to grant pardons to convicted individuals. These extensive authorities illustrate the central role of the Supreme Leader within the Iranian political system.
Given the concentration of such powers, it is possible for the Supreme Leader to remain unresponsive to societal demands, and it requires considerable courage for individuals or groups to oppose him. His position as the primary and decisive authority on all political and social matters in Iran, along with the acceptance of his statements as binding orders and directives, is sufficient to understand his role within the state. This structure has often been described as an undeclared clerical dictatorship.
Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts possesses the authority to elect and, when necessary, dismiss the Supreme Leader, based on considerations of merit and reputation. In addition to this role, the Assembly is responsible for advising the Supreme Leader on his legal duties. The body convenes once a year and consists of 86 “qualified and learned” jurists who are elected by popular vote for eight-year terms. As in presidential and parliamentary elections, the Guardian Council determines the eligibility of candidates for the Assembly of Experts. The Assembly selects the Supreme Leader and, under its constitutional authority, may remove him from office if required.
All meetings and documents of the Assembly are highly confidential, and there is no known instance in which the Assembly has issued a decision contradicting that of the Supreme Leader. Although it is the institution responsible for electing and advising the Supreme Leader, it largely operates in a subordinate position to the very leader it selects.
President (Head of State)
According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the presidency is defined as the highest state authority after the Supreme Leader. The President is elected by popular vote for a four-year term and may be re-elected once for a consecutive term. To ensure their commitment to the principles of the Islamic Revolution, presidential candidates must receive approval from the Guardian Council. Individuals not deemed suitable by the Guardian Council are barred from running office, meaning the Council ultimately determines who may or may not become a candidate. As a result, no individual considered unacceptable by the regime has the opportunity to stand for election.
Apart from areas directly under the authority of the Supreme Leader, who holds the final say on all major matters, the President is responsible for overseeing the functioning of the executive institutions and for ensuring the implementation of the Constitution. The President is supported by eight vice presidents and a Council of Ministers composed of twenty-two members, whose appointments require parliamentary approval. Within this governmental structure, the appointments of the Ministers of Interior and Defense must also receive the approval of the Supreme Leader before being submitted to Parliament for confirmation. Although the Minister of Defense is formally part of the government, control over the armed forces rests directly with the Supreme Leader.
Guardian Council (Shura-ye Negahban-e Qanun-e Asasi)
The Guardian Council, a supervisory body within Iran’s political system, consists of twelve Islamic jurists known as mujtahids. A mujtahid is a religious scholar who derives legal judgments through the interpretation of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Six of these members are appointed directly by the Supreme Leader, while the remaining six are selected by the Parliament (Islamic Consultative Assembly) from among jurists nominated by the head of the judiciary.
One of the primary responsibilities of the Guardian Council is to review legislation passed by Parliament to ensure its conformity with Islamic law and the Constitution. All parliamentary decisions must be submitted to the Council for approval before they can take effect. Another crucial function of the Council is its authority over electoral processes. It determines the eligibility of candidates for presidential, parliamentary, and Assembly of Experts elections and supervises the conduct of these elections. When deemed necessary, the Council also has the authority to annul election results.
No candidate can participate in elections without the approval of the Guardian Council. Individuals considered to be opponents of the regime or those not deemed suitable by the Supreme Leader are prevented from running for office by this body. In this respect, the Council effectively determines who may be elected even before the voting takes place. As such, the Guardian Council stands as one of the most significant institutions ensuring the continuity of the regime.
Expediency Discernment Council (Majma-e Tashkhis-e Maslahat-e Nezam)
The Expediency Discernment Council, established in 1988 by a decision of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, holds the authority to resolve disputes between the Guardian Council and the Parliament (Islamic Consultative Assembly). Its primary purpose is to ensure harmony among political institutions by addressing conflicts and creating a mechanism of oversight between the branches of government. The Council is also authorized to submit reports and provide advice to the Supreme Leader.
Members of the Expediency Discernment Council are appointed directly by the Supreme Leader. Through this body, the Supreme Leader’s capacity to oversee and control political institutions is further deepened. Consequently, the Supreme Leader gains the ability to monitor and influence political institutions beyond the powers explicitly defined in the Constitution.
Supreme National Security Council (Shura-ye Ali-ye Amniyat-e Melli)
The Supreme National Security Council was established to safeguard the Islamic Revolution, secure national interests, and ensure the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Its primary function is to shape Iran’s security, intelligence, and defense policies within the framework of the general strategies determined by the Supreme Leader. The Council is also responsible for aligning all political, social, cultural, and economic activities with these security and defense policies. Another key duty is to make the most effective use of the country’s material and moral resources in addressing both internal and external threats.
As Iran’s highest authority in matters of security, defense, and intelligence, the Supreme National Security Council brings together senior state and military officials. Its members include the Chief of the General Staff, the Commander of the Armed Forces, the Head of the Budget and Planning Organization, two representatives of the Supreme Leader, the Commander of the IRGC, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Intelligence. Although the Council is chaired by the President, its decisions come into effect only after receiving the approval of the Supreme Leader. This structure once again underscores that the final authority within the system rests with the Supreme Leader.
Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iranian Parliament)
The Islamic Consultative Assembly, commonly referred to as the Iranian Parliament, holds the authority to grant or withdraw a vote of confidence from the Council of Ministers, as well as to oversee and dismiss the President and members of the cabinet. Despite these powers, it is required to act in harmony with the Supreme Leader. Although the Parliament possesses legislative authority, all laws passed must receive approval from the Guardian Council before they can enter into force.
Members of the Iranian Parliament are elected individually through a single-member district majority system for four-year terms. While political parties exist within Iran’s political system, they primarily function as pressure groups rather than as decisive actors in governance. The main political actors are umbrella organizations that encompass parties and associations, and political competition generally occurs between two principal groups: the conservatives (Usulgerayan), representing the political right, and the reformists (Islahtalep), representing the political left. However, the differences between these groups are not primarily religious but are more closely related to political and economic orientations. Therefore, defining the political landscape simply as a division between conservatives who support the religious character of the regime and reformists who seek secularism does not adequately capture the complexity of Iran’s political system. In reality, there is no complete consensus among all reformist and conservative factions regarding the regime’s religious character. From this perspective, being conservative or reformist does not constitute a decisive distinction in terms of the regime itself, as neither group fundamentally opposes the existing political order.
Judiciary
The judiciary, which is expected to function independently, operates in a position aligned with the authority of the Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader appoints the Head of the Judiciary, who in turn appoints the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General. Within the judicial system, there are general courts, which handle civil and criminal matters, as well as Revolutionary Courts, which deal primarily with security-related cases.
A defining characteristic of the Revolutionary Courts is that their rulings are final and not subject to appeal. In addition, the Special Court for the Clergy adjudicates cases related to religious matters and offenses allegedly committed by members of the clergy. This court operates outside the framework of the ordinary judicial system and is accountable solely to the Supreme Leader. Its decisions are also final and cannot be appealed. As reflected in the saying, “The hand cut by Sharia does not hurt,” these courts serve as both the first and final authority. Their rulings primarily aim to preserve the authority of the religious establishment and the continuity of the clerical regime, effectively functioning as mechanisms for defending the regime against the public.
Administrative structure
Iran’s state structure is divided into 31 provinces, known as “ostans,” each governed by appointed officials. At the head of each province is a governor (ostandar) who is appointed by the Minister of Interior and approved by the Council of Ministers.
These provinces are as follows: Ardabil, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Gilan, Zanjan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Hamadan, Qazvin, Alborz, Mazandaran, Tehran, Qom, Markazi, Lorestan, Ilam, Khuzestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Isfahan, Semnan, Golestan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Yazd, Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Bushehr, Kerman, Hormozgan, and Sistan and Baluchestan.
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