The government of Iran is an Islamic theocratic republic in which the head of state is the Supreme Leader and the head of government is the President, with legislative power held by the 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly. Established by the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this system fuses elected institutions with a hierarchy of unelected clerical bodies that hold ultimate authority over the state.
What Type of Government Does Iran Have?
Iran is formally a theocratic republic, a hybrid model that has no exact parallel anywhere else in the world. It combines the trappings of a modern republic — a written constitution, an elected president, an elected parliament, and regular nationwide votes — with the doctrine of velayat-e faqih, or "guardianship of the Islamic jurist." Under this principle, supreme political authority rests with a senior Shia cleric who serves as a guardian of the nation.
The result is two parallel structures of power. One is elected by citizens; the other is appointed and clerical. Where the two conflict, the clerical institutions almost always prevail. This makes Iran a republic in form but a theocracy in its ultimate decision-making, distinguishing it sharply from both Western democracies and absolute monarchies in the region.
The Supreme Leader and the President
The Supreme Leader is the most powerful figure in the Iranian state. He is appointed by the Assembly of Experts and serves for life or until resignation. The Supreme Leader is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, controls the judiciary and state broadcasting, appoints half the Guardian Council, and sets the overall direction of foreign and domestic policy. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the 1979 revolution, was the first to hold the post; Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has held it since Khomeini's death in 1989.
The President, by contrast, is directly elected by the public for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. The President heads the executive branch, manages the budget, and represents Iran in many diplomatic settings. Despite the prominence of the office, the President remains subordinate to the Supreme Leader and cannot override decisions on the most sensitive matters of state, security, and ideology. The capital, Tehran, is the seat of both offices and of the national bureaucracy.
Parliament and the Guardian Council
Iran's legislature is the unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly, commonly called the Majles, which has 290 members elected to four-year terms. The Majles drafts and passes laws, approves the budget, ratifies treaties, and can summon and even impeach government ministers. Its historic seat traces back to the Baharestan parliament building, a legacy of Iran's Constitutional Revolution of 1906.
However, no bill becomes law without the approval of the Guardian Council, a twelve-member body that reviews all legislation for compatibility with Islamic principles and the constitution. Six of its members are clerics appointed directly by the Supreme Leader, and six are jurists nominated by the head of the judiciary and confirmed by parliament. The Council also vets candidates for the presidency, the Majles, and the Assembly of Experts, frequently disqualifying large numbers of would-be candidates. This gatekeeping power is one of the most consequential features of the entire political system.
When the Majles and Guardian Council deadlock, a body called the Expediency Council mediates and can resolve disputes, further reinforcing clerical oversight of the legislative process.
The Judiciary and the Assembly of Experts
The judiciary is headed by a Chief Justice appointed by the Supreme Leader, and its courts apply a legal code rooted in Islamic law. Specialized Revolutionary Courts handle cases involving national security and offenses deemed crimes against the state, operating with broad discretion. Because the Supreme Leader appoints the judiciary's leadership, the courts function as another lever of clerical control rather than an independent check on power.
Standing above even the Supreme Leader in one narrow respect is the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 Islamic scholars elected by the public for eight-year terms. The Assembly is responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader and, in theory, supervising and removing him — though in practice its members are themselves vetted by the Guardian Council, limiting the independence of this oversight.
Elections, Society, and Political History
Iranian citizens vote regularly: in presidential elections, parliamentary elections, local council elections, and Assembly of Experts elections. Turnout is often high, and campaigns can be vigorous, but the Guardian Council's vetting narrows the field of candidates before voters ever reach the ballot box. Politics swings between conservative and reformist currents, and the country has a large, young, and highly educated population that periodically presses for greater freedoms — visible in the Green Movement of 2009 and the Woman, Life, Freedom protests of 2022.
The republic itself dates to 1979, when the revolution ended the Pahlavi monarchy. The Iran–Iraq War of 1980–1988 consolidated the new order, and the institutions described above have governed the country ever since. To learn more about the wider country, see our iran country guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who really runs Iran, the President or the Supreme Leader?
The Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority. While the elected President leads the executive branch day to day, the Supreme Leader controls the military, judiciary, and broadcasting, and sets the strategic direction the President must follow.
Is Iran a democracy?
Iran holds genuine elections, but it is best described as a theocratic republic rather than a full democracy. Unelected clerical bodies, especially the Guardian Council, vet candidates and can veto laws, sharply limiting the range of electoral choice.
What is the name of Iran's parliament?
Iran's parliament is the Islamic Consultative Assembly, widely known as the Majles. It is a single-chamber body of 290 members elected for four-year terms, seated in Tehran.
When was the Islamic Republic of Iran established?
The Islamic Republic was established in 1979 following the revolution that overthrew the Shah, with Ayatollah Khomeini as its first Supreme Leader.