Taffy Theman
These are the supreme leaders of Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest authority in the country. He is both the religious and political leader. He makes major decisions, controls the armed forces, and has final say on government policy.
💥How is he elected?
The Supreme Leader is not elected by the people. He is chosen by a group of senior religious leaders called the Assembly of Experts. Once chosen, he remains in power until he dies or steps down.
Below the Supreme Leader, there is the president. This president is NOT the head of state. He functions more like a prime minister with limited authority. In many ways, the president of Iran’s powers are similar to the prime minister of Russia. They both have limited authority.
The comparison is not perfect of course, because the Iranian president is directly elected by the people every four years. He runs the day-to-day affairs of government, such as the economy, ministries, and some areas of diplomacy. But just like the Russian prime minister, he does not control the military or make the final decisions on major national issues.
There are 9 people who have served as president
▪️ Abolhassan Banisadr – 1980–1981
▪️ Mohammad-Ali Rajai – 1981
▪️ Ali Khamenei – 1981–1989
▪️ Akbar Rafsanjani – 1989–1997
▪️ Mohammad Khatami – 1997–2005
▪️ Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – 2005–2013
▪️ Hassan Rouhani – 2013–2021
▪️ Ebrahim Raisi – 2021–2024
▪️ Mohammad Mokhber – Acting-2024
▪️ Masoud Pezeshkian – Current president
As you can tell from the list above, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei served as president before becoming Supreme Leader. He was president from 1981 to 1989. He only became Supreme Leader after the death of the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini.
However, the presidency is only one part of Iran’s political system. Other institutions also play a role in governance.
One of these institutions is parliament, known as the Majlis. Its role is to make laws.
However, every law passed by parliament must be approved by the Guardian Council. This council has twelve members. Six are directly appointed by the Supreme Leader. The other six are nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.
If a law does not match Islamic law or the constitution, it is rejected.
The constitution, written in 1979 after the revolution, defines Iran as an Islamic Republic. It combines elections with religious authority, but places ultimate power in the hands of the Supreme Leader. All this started in 1979, after the Iranian Revolution.
💥What was the Iranian Revolution?
Remember, before 1979, Iran was not an Islamic Republic. It was a Western-aligned constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Pahlavi family. This family ruled Iran for 54 years, from 1925 to 1979.
They used the title Shah, which can be translated as King. Since Iran was a constitutional monarchy, it meant that the Shah originally did not have absolute power. The government of Iran was formally run by the prime minister. During this time, Iran was not governed as an Islamic system, even though Islam was very important culturally.
In 1951, a new Prime Minister came to power. His name was Mohammad Mosaddegh. He nationalized the oil industry. He also became very critical of Western countries, particularly the United States and Britain.
Before this, British companies controlled most of Iran’s oil and made large profits, while Iran received a smaller share. Mosaddegh wanted Iran to control its own resources and keep more of the money.
Britain strongly opposed this and tried to pressure Iran economically. When that failed, Britain turned to the United States for help.
At the same time, this was during the Cold War. The United States was deeply concerned about the spread of communism. It feared that a government that was not pro-Western could create conditions in which communist groups might gain influence and power within the country.
So, in-order to protect Western oil interests and to prevent possible communist influence in Iran, the United States and Britain sponsored a coup in 1953. This coup removed Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh from power.
After this, the Shah slowly became more powerful and ruled more like an absolute monarch. His government used force against opponents. Despite his authoritarian rule, the United States continued to support him because Iran remained an important ally.
Over time, these conditions led to growing anger inside Iran. Many people were unhappy with the Shah’s rule, including religious groups, students, and workers.
One of the most well-known critics was a religious leader named Ruhollah Khomeini. Because of his opposition to the Shah, he was arrested and later forced into exile, meaning he had to live outside Iran for many years.
By the late 1970s, protests had spread across the country. This growing unrest eventually turned into a full revolution.
In 1979, the Shah was removed from power. Khomeini then returned from exile to Iran and became the central figure in establishing the Islamic Republic.
Later in 1979, after a new constitution was approved, Khomeini became the first Supreme Leader of Iran. He remained in that position until his death in 1989.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was replaced by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled from 1989 until he was assassinated on February 28, 2026. After his death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as the new Supreme Leader. He was officially appointed on March 8, 2026.
TAFFY THEMAN
dzidzisoyataffy
are the supreme leaders of Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest authority in the country. He is both the religious and political leader. He makes major decisions, controls the armed forces, and has final say on government policy.
💥How is he elected?
The Supreme Leader is not elected by the people. He is chosen by a group of senior religious leaders called the Assembly of Experts. Once chosen, he remains in power until he dies or steps down.
Below the Supreme Leader, there is the president. This president is NOT the head of state. He functions more like a prime minister with limited authority. In many ways, the president of Iran’s powers are similar to the prime minister of Russia. They both have limited authority.
The comparison is not perfect of course, because the Iranian president is directly elected by the people every four years. He runs the day-to-day affairs of government, such as the economy, ministries, and some areas of diplomacy. But just like the Russian prime minister, he does not control the military or make the final decisions on major national issues.
There are 9 people who have served as president
▪️ Abolhassan Banisadr – 1980–1981
▪️ Mohammad-Ali Rajai – 1981
▪️ Ali Khamenei – 1981–1989
▪️ Akbar Rafsanjani – 1989–1997
▪️ Mohammad Khatami – 1997–2005
▪️ Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – 2005–2013
▪️ Hassan Rouhani – 2013–2021
▪️ Ebrahim Raisi – 2021–2024
▪️ Mohammad Mokhber – Acting-2024
▪️ Masoud Pezeshkian – Current president
As you can tell from the list above, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei served as president before becoming Supreme Leader. He was president from 1981 to 1989. He only became Supreme Leader after the death of the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini.
However, the presidency is only one part of Iran’s political system. Other institutions also play a role in governance.
One of these institutions is parliament, known as the Majlis. Its role is to make laws.
However, every law passed by parliament must be approved by the Guardian Council. This council has twelve members. Six are directly appointed by the Supreme Leader. The other six are nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.
If a law does not match Islamic law or the constitution, it is rejected.
The constitution, written in 1979 after the revolution, defines Iran as an Islamic Republic. It combines elections with religious authority, but places ultimate power in the hands of the Supreme Leader. All this started in 1979, after the Iranian Revolution.
💥What was the Iranian Revolution?
Remember, before 1979, Iran was not an Islamic Republic. It was a Western-aligned constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Pahlavi family. This family ruled Iran for 54 years, from 1925 to 1979.
They used the title Shah, which can be translated as King. Since Iran was a constitutional monarchy, it meant that the Shah originally did not have absolute power. The government of Iran was formally run by the prime minister. During this time, Iran was not governed as an Islamic system, even though Islam was very important culturally.
In 1951, a new Prime Minister came to power. His name was Mohammad Mosaddegh. He nationalized the oil industry. He also became very critical of Western countries, particularly the United States and Britain.
Before this, British companies controlled most of Iran’s oil and made large profits, while Iran received a smaller share. Mosaddegh wanted Iran to control its own resources and keep more of the money.
Britain strongly opposed this and tried to pressure Iran economically. When that failed, Britain turned to the United States for help.
At the same time, this was during the Cold War. The United States was deeply concerned about the spread of communism. It feared that a government that was not pro-Western could create conditions in which communist groups might gain influence and power within the country.
So, in-order to protect Western oil interests and to prevent possible communist influence in Iran, the United States and Britain sponsored a coup in 1953. This coup removed Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh from power.
After this, the Shah slowly became more powerful and ruled more like an absolute monarch. His government used force against opponents. Despite his authoritarian rule, the United States continued to support him because Iran remained an important ally.
Over time, these conditions led to growing anger inside Iran. Many people were unhappy with the Shah’s rule, including religious groups, students, and workers.
One of the most well-known critics was a religious leader named Ruhollah Khomeini. Because of his opposition to the Shah, he was arrested and later forced into exile, meaning he had to live outside Iran for many years.
By the late 1970s, protests had spread across the country. This growing unrest eventually turned into a full revolution.
In 1979, the Shah was removed from power. Khomeini then returned from exile to Iran and became the central figure in establishing the Islamic Republic.
Later in 1979, after a new constitution was approved, Khomeini became the first Supreme Leader of Iran. He remained in that position until his death in 1989.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was replaced by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled from 1989 until he was assassinated on February 28, 2026. After his death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as the new Supreme Leader. He was officially appointed on March 8, 2026.
TAFFY THEMAN
#dzidzisoyataffy