This article has evidence gaps. Read the research notes before relying on its conclusions.
Research cutoff: · Updated:What the Majles is
The Islamic Consultative Assembly is commonly known as the Majles, a Persian term used for an assembly or council. The Inter-Parliamentary Union classifies Iran's parliament as unicameral: it has a single chamber rather than separate lower and upper houses. Its record for the 2024 election identifies 290 seats contested in a full renewal. s1
This institutional identity matters when reading references to other Iranian assemblies. Bodies involved in selecting the country's leadership or reviewing legislation have different functions; they should not be assumed to be additional elected parliamentary chambers. s1s2
[s1] [s2]Legislation and executive scrutiny
The constitution gives Parliament powers to investigate national affairs and approve international agreements. It also provides for ministerial confidence votes and questioning. These are formal instruments of scrutiny; their existence does not establish how consistently they produce accountability. s3
The August 2024 cabinet appointment round offers a concrete example of parliamentary participation in executive formation: IRNA reported confidence votes approving the president's entire ministerial list. That event demonstrates the use of a constitutional procedure, rather than proving either parliamentary independence or executive control in every case. s4
[s3] [s4]Reading the 2024 election record
The IPU records voting between 1 March and 10 May 2024, encompassing the initial election and runoff. Its completed election record reports 14 women elected and a principlist majority. These are election-result observations, not a verified membership snapshot for October 2026. Vacancies and other later changes would require separate confirmation. s1
The March 2024 House of Commons Library briefing describes the restricted candidate field and the role of factions. This context is essential when interpreting an elected chamber: competition among approved candidates and access to candidacy are separate questions. Readers should also distinguish preliminary reporting from completed results, particularly when an election includes a runoff. s2
[s1] [s2]Sources & research notes
- [s1] Iran (Islamic Republic of): Islamic Parliament of Iran — March 2024 ElectionInter-Parliamentary Union, Parline · Structure of parliament; Election date(s); Number of seats at stake; About the election; Members elected, by sex · Accessed 2026-10-28
- [s2] Iran’s 2024 electionsHouse of Commons Library · Sections: Which elections took place?; What were the results?; How free was the vote? · Accessed 2026-10-28
- [s3] Iran (Islamic Republic of) 1979 (rev. 1989) ConstitutionConstitute Project · Articles 76–77 and 87–89 · Accessed 2026-10-28
- [s4] Iran's parliament approves President Pezeshkian's entire cabinetIslamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), archived by GlobalSecurity.org · Opening report and ministerial confidence-vote results · Accessed 2026-10-28
limitations
- This is a concise researched introduction; a complete institutional profile remains unfinished.
- The IPU page contains inconsistent first-session dates in its narrative and structured fields; no opening date is asserted here.
- The March 2024 briefing precedes the runoff, so completed membership figures are taken from the IPU election record.
- Live pages were accessed after the cutoff; no current officeholder or current membership claim is made.
unverified items
- Membership, vacancies, parliamentary leadership, and organizational status as of 2026-10-26.
- Verified institutional contact details and an official website accessible for inspection.
- A fuller historical account and documented examples of oversight outcomes.
data gaps
- No comparable annual membership or legislative-performance series was verified for 2012–2026. The inspected 2024 election observations are not an annual dataset.
coverage period
Constitutional powers and the March–May 2024 election, with an August 2024 confidence-vote example.