Iran
Iran, 1979 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Iranian Revolution in 1979 overthrew the monarchy, and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini, the country's first supreme leader. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, sparking the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War. Iran's government is a theocratic Islamic republic governed by elected and unelected institutions, with ultimate authority vested in the supreme leader.
Seat of power: Tehran
Rulers
Ruhollah Khomeini
Head of state, 1979–1989
He was the leader of the Iranian Revolution, which overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ended the Pahlavi era, and transformed the country into an Islamic republic. As supreme leader, he implemented policies that came to be known as Khomeinism.
Portrait of Ruhollah Khomeini: Ali Kaveh[1][2][3], Public domain, file
Abolhassan Banisadr
President of Iran, 1980–1981
He served as the first president of Iran following the Iranian Revolution, holding office from 1980 until his impeachment in 1981.
Portrait of Abolhassan Banisadr: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Ali Khamenei
President of Iran, 1981–2026
He served as the supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination by Israeli airstrikes in 2026. He had previously served as the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His 36-year tenure makes him Iran's longest-serving supreme leader.
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Mohammad-Ali Rajai
President of Iran, 1981–1981
He served as the president of Iran from 2 August 1981 until his assassination four weeks later.
Portrait of Mohammad-Ali Rajai: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
President of Iran, 1989–1997
He was the president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. Rafsanjani became President of Iran after winning the 1989 election.
Portrait of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani: Fars News Agency, CC BY 4.0, file
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Mohammad Khatami
President of Iran, 1997–2005
Khatami had run on a platform of liberalization and reform. During his two terms as president, Khatami advocated freedom of expression, tolerance and civil society, constructive diplomatic relations with other states, including those in Asia and the European Union.
Portrait of Mohammad Khatami: Mohammadreza Abbasi, CC BY 4.0, file
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of Iran, 2005–2013
He served as the president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He was also the main political leader of the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran, a coalition of conservative political groups in the country, and served as the mayor of Tehran from 2003 to 2005.
Portrait of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: https://tasnimnews.ir, CC BY 4.0, file
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Hassan Rouhani
President of Iran, 2013–2021
He served as the president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. He campaigned on promises to restore the economy, improve rocky relations with Western nations, and prepare a "civil rights charter" if elected.
Ebrahim Raisi
President of Iran, 2021–2024
He served as the president of Iran from 2021 until his death in a helicopter crash in 2024. In the aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Raisi served in several positions in Iran's judicial system, including as Prosecutor of Karaj, Prosecutor of Hamadan and Deputy Prosecutor and Prosecutor of Tehran.
Portrait of Ebrahim Raisi: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, CC BY 4.0, file
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Mohammad Mokhber
President of Iran, 2024–2024
He served as the acting president of Iran in 2024 following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in the Varzaqan helicopter crash, having been the first vice president of Iran from 2021 to 2024 under Raisi.
Mojtaba Khamenei
Head of state, 2026 to today
He has served as the supreme leader of Iran since 2026. He previously served as Vakil of the Supreme Leader during his father's rule from 2008 to 2026.
Portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei: This is a file from the Ali Khamenei website, which states in its footer, "All Content by Khamenei.ir is licensed und..., CC BY 4.0, file
Culture
- Iran has several famous medieval poets, notably Rumi, Ferdowsi, Hafez, Saadi Shirazi, Omar Khayyam, and Nizami Ganjavi.
- Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. In 2010, the "traditional skills of carpet weaving" in Fars province and Kashan were inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
- Iran has 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the 10th-highest in the world) and ranks 4th in intangible cultural heritage or human treasures.
Picture
The Milad Tower is a multi-purpose tower in Tehran and the tallest tower in Iran.
Image: Sepehrxf, CC-BY-SA-4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.