POLITICAL SYSTEM
General Information
Iran is an Islamic republic.
The supreme legislative body is the unicameral parliament Majlis (Islamic Consultative Assembly).
President - Masoud Pezeshkian, elected on July 28, 2024.
Head of executive power – Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, elected in 1989.
Key policy directions are overcoming the consequences of international sanctions, developing defense capabilities, and stimulating trade and economic cooperation.
Constitutional System
Iran is a unitary state divided into 31 provinces (ostans). The current Constitution, adopted in 1979 and amended in 1989, establishes Islamic principles of governance and the concept of "Velayat-e Faqih", according to which supreme power belongs to the spiritual leader.
State power is exercised by independent legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, which are under the control of the Supreme Leader of the country.
The head of state – the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran – is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief; determines the general political line of the country; appoints and dismisses members of the Guardian Council, the head of the Judiciary, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and others.
The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) reports to the Supreme Leader – an advisory body on state security issues, strategic planning, and coordination of government activities in various areas.
The President heads the executive power. He directs the work of the government (except for issues directly under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Leader). He is elected for four years by direct secret ballot and may hold office for no more than two consecutive terms.
The Assembly of the Islamic Council (Majlis) is a unicameral parliament consisting of 290 deputies elected for four years through general elections.
The Guardian Council consists of 12 members – 6 "faqihs" (experts in Islamic law) and 6 secular jurists. The "faqihs" are appointed by the Supreme Leader, the jurists are elected by the Majlis upon the recommendation of the head of the Judiciary. The Council monitors the compliance of Majlis decisions with the provisions of Islam and the Constitution of Iran.
The Assembly of Experts – consists of 88 Muslim jurist-faqihs elected by popular vote for 8 years. The Assembly performs work on organizing, preparing, and conducting elections of the Supreme Leader, reviews and prepares changes and amendments to the Constitution.
The Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) – is formed by the Supreme Leader. The EDC is assigned the role of the last instance in matters of developing the procedure for making political decisions, as well as constitutional oversight and arbitration in resolving conflict situations arising between the Majlis and the Guardian Council.
The main bodies of the Judiciary in Iran are the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, military courts, revolutionary courts (which consider especially serious crimes, including treason), people's courts (civil and criminal cases), and the Special Clerical Court (decisions are not subject to appeal, it functions separately from the Judiciary leadership and reports directly to the Supreme Leader).
Labor Relations
The foundation of labor legislation is the Labor Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The minimum wage is set by the state and is approximately 214 US dollars.
The practice of temporary contracts (for 60 days) is widespread, under which approximately 80% of workers in both the public and private sectors work.
Trade Unions
The official labor legislation of Iran does not allow the creation of independent trade unions. The role of trade unions is performed by Islamic labor councils.