Political Institutions & Governance

Iran’s institutional system emerged from the revolution that ended the Pahlavi monarchy in 1979. Its constitution established an Islamic republic and was substantially revised in 1989. The system combines representative institutions with velayat-e faqih, usually translated as guardianship of the Islamic jurist: a doctrine that places a qualified religious jurist at the apex of political authority. Historian Saïd Amir Arjomand’s account emphasizes that this arrangement emerged through argument and institutional struggle, rather than expressing an uncontested religious blueprint. s1

This history helps explain why Iran’s government cannot be understood solely through the familiar division into executive, legislature, and judiciary. Those institutions exist, but operate within a wider structure of clerical supervision. The relationship between popular representation and religious authority is built into the system’s constitutional design. Readers should distinguish that design from judgments about how effectively institutions represent the population or constrain power in practice. s1s2

The constitution gives the Supreme Leader authority over general state policy and supreme command of the armed forces, together with important appointment powers. It separately identifies the president as head of the executive except in matters reserved for the leadership. These provisions explain why winning a presidential election does not confer control over every major instrument of the state. s2

The presidency nevertheless matters. It leads government administration, while the cabinet and ministries handle major areas of public policy. The House of Commons Library’s country profile distinguishes the president’s role as head of government from the Supreme Leader’s position as head of state. It also notes the constitutional role of the Assembly of Experts in selecting, supervising, and potentially dismissing the leader, while emphasizing the limited visibility of its supervisory proceedings. Formal accountability should therefore be distinguished from publicly demonstrable scrutiny. s3

The Majles, Iran’s parliament, is a central institution of lawmaking, but parliamentary approval is only part of the legislative process. The Guardian Council examines legislation for compatibility with Islamic criteria and the constitution. Its composition connects several institutions: the Supreme Leader appoints its religious jurists, while parliament selects its legal specialists from nominees presented by the judiciary’s head. s4

The council also has constitutional interpretation and election-supervision functions. Encyclopaedia Iranica’s institutional account explains how these powers make it a major political gatekeeper. Disagreements between parliament and the Guardian Council can reach the Expediency Council, an institution incorporated into the revised constitutional structure. These relationships mean that legislative authority is distributed across bodies with different methods of selection and different claims to legitimacy. s4

Candidate screening also shapes the choices offered to voters. The Commons Library describes the exclusion of many candidates outside the leadership-aligned establishment. Elections should consequently be examined through eligibility rules and implementation as well as voting procedures. An elected office can carry substantial responsibilities while the competition for that office remains restricted. s3

Security governance brings together elected officials, military leaders, and representatives of the Supreme Leader. The Council on Foreign Relations describes the Supreme National Security Council as a forum including the president, other branch heads, ministers, military chiefs, and leadership representatives. Its remit covers major defense and security questions. The institution illustrates how participation by an elected official can coexist with other sources of authority inside the same decision-making body. s5

An organizational chart remains incomplete without attention to political influence. CFR’s account describes republican institutions embedded within clerical structures and emphasizes multiple centers of power. The practical question is often which actors can shape appointments, block proposals, or mobilize resources in a particular policy area. That answer may differ between economic administration, security, and foreign relations; a single hierarchy cannot capture every interaction. s5

The distinction between procedure and influence became especially significant during the 2026 succession. Reuters reported in March that the Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in the opening phase of the United States–Israeli attacks. The Commons Library’s March profile also records the succession. It should not be described as an automatic hereditary transfer: the formal selection mechanism remained the Assembly. s3s6

Reuters separately reported, citing senior Iranian sources and insiders, that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exerted decisive pressure in favor of the selection. That account concerns reported political influence, rather than a constitutional power assigning the Guards the choice of leader. Its source-based character matters: it provides evidence about a partly opaque process without making every private interaction independently observable. s6

Governance also encompasses public administration and local affairs. The constitution provides for elected councils at local and provincial levels and recognizes government-appointed territorial officials. Local participation therefore exists within a centrally organized state, rather than constituting a separate sovereign tier. Constitutional provisions establish responsibilities; evaluating actual autonomy requires examining the relevant laws, resources, and administrative practice. s2

The branches of this guide separate government structure, legislative and executive institutions, the judiciary, urban and provincial administration, and elections. Other branches examine political currents, public policy, foreign relations, international organizations, digital governance, civil society, and transparency. Together, they support a practical way of reading Iranian governance: identify the institution, establish its formal authority, then examine evidence about how that authority is exercised. The 2026 succession demonstrates why both steps remain necessary. s2s6

Selected constitutional appointment and review relationships

The arrows identify distinct selection, nomination, and legislative-review functions. This is a partial constitutional map; it does not quantify influence or depict all institutions and accountability mechanisms.