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| Government of Islamic Republic of Iran |
This is a list of the presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the establishment of that office in 1980. The president of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in the country. The current president, Masoud Pezeshkian has been in office since 28 July 2024 after winning the 2024 Iranian presidential election.
After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and referendum to create the Islamic Republic on March 29 and 30, the new government needed to craft a new constitution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered an election for the Assembly of Experts, the body tasked with writing the constitution. [1] The assembly presented the constitution on October 24, 1979, and Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini and Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan approved it. This was also approved in constitutional referendum on December 2 and 3.
The 1979 Constitution designated the supreme leader as the head of state and the president and prime minister as the heads of government. The post of prime minister was abolished after the 1989 constitutional referendum.
The first Iranian presidential election was held on January 25, 1980 and resulted in the election of Abolhassan Banisadr with 76% of the votes. Banisadr was impeached on June 22, 1981 by Parliament. Until the early election on July 24, 1981, the duties of the president were undertaken by the Provisional Presidential Council. Mohammad-Ali Rajai was elected president on July 24, 1981 and took office on August 2. Rajai remained in office for less than one month, with both he and his prime minister being assassinated on August 30, 1981. Once again, a Provisional Presidential Council filled the office until October 13, 1981 when Ali Khamenei was elected president.
Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani were each elected president for two terms. Ebrahim Raisi was the eighth president, serving from his election in 2021 until his death on May 19, 2024 leaving the office occupied in an acting capacity by First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber. Masoud Pezeshkian was elected as the current president on July 6, 2024.
Islamic Republic of Iran (1979-1989) | ||||||||||
1st Constitution (1979–1989) | ||||||||||
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | Election | Previous office | Prime minister | Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||
| The Council of the Islamic Revolution deputised during the interim (3 December 1979 – 4 February 1980). [lower-alpha 1] | ||||||||||
| 1 | Abolhassan Banisadr سید ابوالحسن بنیصدر (1933–2021)  | 4 February 1980 | 22 June 1981 | 1 year, 138 days | Independent | 1980 | Minister of Finance (1979–1980) | Mohammad-Ali Rajai | Rajai | |
| The Presidential Council deputised during the interim (22 June 1981 – 2 August 1981). [lower-alpha 1] | ||||||||||
| 2 | Mohammad-Ali Rajai محمدعلی رجائی (1933–1981)  | 2 August 1981 | 30 August 1981 [lower-alpha 2] | 28 days | IRP | 1981 (Jul) | Prime Minister of Iran (1980–1981) | Mohammad-Javad Bahonar | Bahonar | |
| The Presidential Council deputised during the interim (30 August 1981 – 9 October 1981). [lower-alpha 1] | ||||||||||
| 3 | Ali Khamenei علی خامنه ای (born 1939)  | 9 October 1981 | 16 August 1989 [2] | 7 years, 311 days | IRP CCA | 1981 (Oct) 1985 | Member of the Parliament of Iran (1980–1981) | Mir-Hossein Mousavi | Mousavi I–II | |
2nd Constitution (from 1989) | ||||||||||
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | Election | Previous office | First vice president | Cabinet | ||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||
| 4 | Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی (1934–2017)  | 16 August 1989 [2] | 3 August 1997 | 7 years, 352 days | CCA | 1989 1993 | Speaker of the Parliament of Iran (1980–1989) | Hassan Habibi | Rafsanjani I–II | |
| 5 | Mohammad Khatami محمد خاتمی (born 1943)  | 3 August 1997 | 3 August 2005 | 8 years | ACC | 1997 2001 | Minister of Culture (1982–1992) | Hassan Habibi Mohammad Reza Aref | Khatami I–II | |
| 6 | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad محمود احمدینژاد (born 1956)  | 3 August 2005 | 3 August 2013 | 8 years | ABII | 2005 2009 | Mayor of Tehran (2003–2005) | Parviz Davoodi Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei Mohammad-Reza Rahimi | Ahmadinejad I–II | |
| 7 | Hassan Rouhani حسن روحانی (born 1948)  | 3 August 2013 | 3 August 2021 | 8 years | MDP | 2013 2017 | Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (1989–2005) | Eshaq Jahangiri | Rouhani I–II | |
| 8 | Ebrahim Raisi ابراهیم رئیسی (1960–2024)  | 3 August 2021 | 19 May 2024 [lower-alpha 2] | 2 years, 290 days | CCA | 2021 | Chief Justice (2019–2021) | Mohammad Mokhber | Raisi | |
| – | Mohammad Mokhber [lower-alpha 1] محمد مخبر (born 1955) Acting  | 19 May 2024 | 28 July 2024 | 70 days | Independent | – | Vice President (2021–2024) | – | Mokhber | |
| 9 | Masoud Pezeshkian مسعود پزشکیان (born 1954)  | 28 July 2024 | Incumbent | 75 days | Independent | 2024 | Minister of Health and Medical Education (2001–2005) | Mohammad Reza Aref | Pezeshkian | |
| No. | President | Born | Age at start of presidency | Age at end of presidency | Time in office | Post-presidency timespan | Lifespan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | Age | |||||||
| 1 | Abolhassan Banisadr | Mar 22, 1933 | 46 years, 319 days Feb 4, 1980 | 48 years, 92 days Jun 22, 1981 | 1 year, 138 days | 40 years, 109 days | Oct 9, 2021 | 88 years, 201 days |
| 2 | Mohammad-Ali Rajai | Jun 15, 1933 | 48 years, 48 days Aug 2, 1981 | 48 years, 76 days Aug 30, 1981 | 28 days | 0 days [lower-alpha 3] | Aug 30, 1981 | 48 years, 76 days |
| 3 | Ali Khamenei | Jul 16, 1939 | 42 years, 85 days Oct 9, 1981 | 50 years, 31 days Aug 16, 1989 | 7 years, 311 days | 35 years, 56 days | – | 85 years, 87 days |
| 4 | Akbar Rafsanjani | Aug 25, 1934 | 54 years, 356 days Aug 16, 1989 | 62 years, 343 days Aug 3, 1997 | 7 years, 352 days | 19 years, 158 days | Jan 8, 2017 | 82 years, 136 days |
| 5 | Mohammad Khatami | Oct 14, 1943 | 53 years, 293 days Aug 3, 1997 | 61 years, 293 days Aug 3, 2005 | 8 years, 0 days | 19 years, 69 days | – | 80 years, 363 days |
| 6 | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Oct 28, 1956 | 48 years, 279 days Aug 3, 2005 | 56 years, 279 days Aug 3, 2013 | 8 years, 0 days | 11 years, 69 days | – | 67 years, 349 days |
| 7 | Hassan Rouhani | Nov 12, 1948 | 64 years, 264 days Aug 3, 2013 | 72 years, 264 days Aug 3, 2021 | 8 years, 0 days | 3 years, 69 days | – | 75 years, 334 days |
| 8 | Ebrahim Raisi | Dec 14, 1960 | 60 years, 232 days Aug 3, 2021 | 63 years, 157 days May 19, 2024 | 2 years, 290 days | 0 days [lower-alpha 3] | May 19, 2024 | 63 years, 157 days |
| - | Mohammad Mokhber (Acting) | Jun 26, 1955 | 68 years, 328 days May 19, 2024 | 69 years, 32 days Jul 28, 2024 | 70 days | 75 days | – | 69 years, 107 days |
| 9 | Masoud Pezeshkian | Dec 29, 1954 | 69 years, 212 days Jul 28, 2024 | (Incumbent) | 75 days | (Incumbent) | – | 69 years, 287 days |
The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the second highest-ranking official, after the supreme leader. The first election was held in 1980 and was won by Abulhassan Banisadr. Masoud Pezeshkian currently serves as the president of Iran, after being elected in the 2024 Iranian presidential election and being officially endorsed by the supreme leader.
Ali Akbar Hashimi Bahramani Rafsanjani was an Iranian politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic, Rafsanjani was the head of the Assembly of Experts from 2007 until 2011 when he decided not to nominate himself for the post. He was also the chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council.
Mohammad-Ali Rajai was an Iranian politician who served as the second president of Iran from 2 August 1981 until his assassination four weeks later. Before his presidency, Rajai had served as prime minister under Abolhassan Banisadr, while concurrently occupying the position of foreign affairs minister from 11 March 1981 to 15 August 1981. He died in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with then-prime minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar.
The Assembly of Experts, also translated as the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership or as the Council of Experts, is the deliberative body empowered to appoint the Supreme Leader of Iran. All directly elected members must first be vetted by the Guardian Council.
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh is an Iranian socialist politician, artist, architect and opposition figure against Iran who served as the 45th and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a reformist candidate for the 2009 presidential election and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election unrest. Mousavi served as the president of the Iranian Academy of Arts until 2009, when conservative authorities removed him. Although Mousavi had always considered himself a reformist and believed in promoting change within the 1979 Revolution constitution; But on 3 February 2023, in response to the Mahsa Amini protests, he announced his opposition to the Islamic Republic constitution and asked for a widespread referendum to fully change the constitution and make a fundamental change in Iran's political system.
Hassan Ebrahim Habibi was an Iranian politician, lawyer, scholar and the first vice president from 1989 until 2001 under Presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami. He was also a member of the High Council of Cultural Revolution and head of Academy of Persian Language and Literature from 2004 until his death in 2013.
The prime minister of Iran was a political post that had existed in Iran (Persia) during much of the 20th century. It began in 1906 during the Qajar dynasty and into the start of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1923 and into the 1979 Iranian Revolution before being abolished in 1989.
Presidential elections were held in Iran on 24 July 1981 after the previous Iranian president, Abolhassan Banisadr, was impeached by the Majlis on 21 June and then sacked by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, on 22 June. The elections occurred after the Hafte Tir bombing, which killed Mohammad Beheshti and dozens of other Iranian officials on 28 June 1981. This led to the election of Mohammad Ali Rajai, the previous prime minister, winning 13,001,761 votes out of the 14,573,803 votes cast, which was 89% of the votes. The vote turnout was 65.29%.
Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani was an Iranian Shia cleric, writer and conservative and principlist politician who was Prime Minister of Iran from 2 September until 29 October 1981. Before that, he was Minister of Interior in the cabinets of Mohammad-Ali Rajai and Mohammad-Javad Bahonar. He was the leader of Combatant Clergy Association and Chairman of the Assembly of Experts and also founder and president of Imam Sadiq University.
A constitutional referendum was held in Iran on 28 July 1989, alongside presidential elections. Approved by 97.6% of voters, it was the first and so far only time the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been amended. It made several changes to articles 5, 107, 109, 111, and added article 176. It eliminated the need for the Supreme Leader (rahbar) of the country to be a marja or chosen by popular acclaim, it eliminated the post of prime minister, and it created a Supreme National Security Council.
This article is a timeline of events relevant to the Islamic Revolution in Iran. For earlier events refer to Pahlavi dynasty and for later ones refer to History of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This article doesn't include the reasons of the events and further information is available in Islamic revolution of Iran.
Many organizations, parties and guerrilla groups were involved in the Iranian revolution. Some were part of Ayatollah Khomeini's network and supported the theocratic Islamic Republic movement, while others did not and were suppressed when Khomeini took power. Some groups were created after the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty and still survive; others helped overthrow the Shah but no longer exist.
Premiership of Mir-Hossein Mousavi were the third and fourth government of Iran after the Iranian Revolution. At that time, Ali Khamenei was the president.
In August 1981, President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar were assassinated in an explosion. Ali Khamenei was then elected as the third president of Iran in the October 1981 Iranian presidential election. He put forward Ali Akbar Velayati as his prime minister, but the Iranian parliament did not give him the vote of confidence, and he was defeated with a vote of 80 to 74. Subsequently, Ali Khamenei, though he had strong disagreements with Mousavi, as a compromise with the left-leaning parliament, agreed to offer him, Mousavi, for the post of premier. On 28 October, the parliament approved Mousavi with a vote of 115 to 39. Mousavi became the 79th Prime Minister of Iran on 31 October 1981, and remained the prime minister of Iran until 3 August 1989, for eight years.
The supreme leader of Iran, also referred to as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, but officially called the Supreme Leadership Authority, is the head of state and the highest political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The armed forces, judiciary, state radio and television, and other key government organizations such as the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council are subject to the Supreme Leader. According to the constitution, the Supreme Leader delineates the general policies of the Islamic Republic, supervising the legislature, the judiciary, and the executive branches. The current lifetime officeholder, Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khameneh known as Ali Khamenei, has issued decrees and made the final decisions on the economy, the environment, foreign policy, education, national planning, and other aspects of governance in Iran. Khamenei also makes the final decisions on the amount of transparency in elections, and has dismissed and reinstated presidential cabinet appointees.
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Iran.
In the 1989 Iranian Supreme Leader election the Assembly of Experts members voted to choose the second Supreme Leader of Iran. The election was held on June 4, 1989, the morning after Ruhollah Khomeini's death. Ali Khamenei was elected as his successor with 60 votes out of 74.
The position of Commander-in-Chief (Farmandehe Koll-e Qova, formerly known as Bozorg Arteshtārān, is the ultimate authority of all the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, and the highest possible military position within the Islamic Republic of Iran. The position was established during the Persian Constitutional Revolution. According to the Constitution of Iran, the position is vested in the Supreme Leader of Iran and is held since 1981.
On 8 January 2017, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the fourth President of Iran and the country's Chairman of Expediency Discernment Council, died at the age of 82 after suffering a heart attack. He was transferred unconscious to a hospital in Tajrish, north Tehran. Attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation for more than an hour trying to revive him were unsuccessful and he died at 19:30 local time (UTC+3:30).
Ali Tehrani, also known as Sheikh Ali Tehrani, was an Iranian Shia Islamic theologian and writer. He served as the representative of Khorasan Province in the Assembly of Experts for Constitution.
