List of presidents of Iran

Last updated

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 presidential election.

Contents

Background

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.

List of officeholders

Islamic Republic of Iran (from 1979)

1st Constitution (19791989)

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical partyElectionPrevious office Prime minister Cabinet
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
The Council of the Islamic Revolution deputised during the interim (6 November 1979 4 February 1980). [a]
1
Abolhassan Banisadr portrait 1980 2.jpg
Abolhassan Banisadr
سید ابوالحسن بنی‌صدر

(1933–2021)
Abulhassan Banisadr signature.svg
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). [a]
2
Mohammad-Ali Rajai picture.jpg
Mohammad-Ali Rajai
محمدعلی رجائی

(1933–1981)
Mohammad-Ali Rajai signature.svg
2 August 1981 30 August 1981 [b] 28 days IATI 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). [a]
3
Portrait of Ali Khamenei - circa 1987.jpg
Ali Khamenei
علی خامنه ای

(born 1939)
Khamenei signature.png
9 October 198116 August 1989 [2] 7 years, 311 days IRP
CCA
1981 (Oct)
1985
Member of the Parliament of Iran
(1980–1981)
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Mousavi III

2nd Constitution (from 1989)

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical partyElectionPrevious office First vice president Cabinet
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
4
Portrait of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 2013.jpg
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی

(1934–2017)
Signature of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.svg
16 August 1989 [2] 3 August 19977 years, 352 days CCA 1989
1993
Speaker of the Parliament of Iran
(1980–1989)
Hassan Habibi Rafsanjani I–II
5
Mohammad Khatami - June 21, 2005.png
Mohammad Khatami
محمد خاتمی

(born 1943)
Mohammad Khatami signature.svg
3 August 19973 August 20058 years ACC 1997
2001
Minister of Culture
(1982–1992)
Hassan Habibi
Mohammad Reza Aref
Khatami I–II
6
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with chafiye.jpg
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
محمود احمدی‌نژاد

(born 1956)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signature.svg
3 August 20053 August 20138 years ABII 2005
2009
Mayor of Tehran
(2003–2005)
Parviz Davoodi
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei
Mohammad-Reza Rahimi
Ahmadinejad III
7
Hassan Rouani 2017 portrait.jpg
Hassan Rouhani
حسن روحانی

(born 1948)
Hassan Rouhani signature.svg
3 August 2013 3 August 20218 years MDP 2013
2017
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council
(1989–2005)
Eshaq Jahangiri Rouhani III
8
Raisi in 2021-02 (cropped).jpg
Ebrahim Raisi
ابراهیم رئیسی

(1960–2024)
Ebrahim Raisi signature.svg
3 August 2021 19 May 2024 [b] 2 years, 290 days CCA 2021 Chief Justice
(2019–2021)
Mohammad Mokhber Raisi
MMokhber.png
Mohammad Mokhber [a]
محمد مخبر

(born 1955)
Acting
Mohammad Mokhber signature.svg
19 May 202428 July 202470 days Independent Vice President
(2021–2024)
Mokhber
9
President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian in Kazan (2024) 01 (cropped).jpg
Masoud Pezeshkian
مسعود پزشکیان

(born 1954)
Masoud Pezeshkian signature.svg
28 July 2024Incumbent1 year, 2 days Independent 2024 Minister of Health and Medical Education
(2001–2005)
Mohammad Reza Aref Pezeshkian

Timeline

Masoud PezeshkianMohammad MokhberEbrahim RaisiHassan RouhaniMahmoud AhmadinejadMohammad KhatamiAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniAli KhameneiMohammad-Ali RajaiAbolhassan BanisadrList of presidents of Iran
No.PresidentBornAge at
start of presidency
Age at
end of presidency
Time in officePost-presidency
timespan
Lifespan
DiedAge
1 Abolhassan Banisadr Mar 22, 193346 years, 319 days
Feb 4, 1980
48 years, 92 days
Jun 22, 1981
1 year, 138 days40 years, 109 daysOct 9, 202188 years, 201 days
2 Mohammad-Ali Rajai Jun 15, 193348 years, 48 days
Aug 2, 1981
48 years, 76 days
Aug 30, 1981
28 days0 days [c] Aug 30, 198148 years, 76 days
3 Ali Khamenei Jul 16, 193942 years, 85 days
Oct 9, 1981
50 years, 31 days
Aug 16, 1989
7 years, 311 days35 years, 348 days86 years, 14 days
4 Akbar Rafsanjani Aug 25, 193454 years, 356 days
Aug 16, 1989
62 years, 343 days
Aug 3, 1997
7 years, 352 days19 years, 158 daysJan 8, 201782 years, 136 days
5 Mohammad Khatami Oct 14, 194353 years, 293 days
Aug 3, 1997
61 years, 293 days
Aug 3, 2005
8 years, 0 days19 years, 361 days81 years, 289 days
6 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Oct 28, 195648 years, 279 days
Aug 3, 2005
56 years, 279 days
Aug 3, 2013
8 years, 0 days11 years, 361 days68 years, 275 days
7 Hassan Rouhani Nov 12, 194864 years, 264 days
Aug 3, 2013
72 years, 264 days
Aug 3, 2021
8 years, 0 days3 years, 361 days76 years, 260 days
8 Ebrahim Raisi Dec 14, 196060 years, 232 days
Aug 3, 2021
63 years, 157 days
May 19, 2024
2 years, 290 days0 days [c] May 19, 202463 years, 157 days
- Mohammad Mokhber
(Acting)
Jun 26, 195568 years, 328 days
May 19, 2024
69 years, 32 days
Jul 28, 2024
70 days1 year, 2 days70 years, 34 days
9 Masoud Pezeshkian Sep 29, 195469 years, 303 days
Jul 28, 2024
(Incumbent)1 year, 2 days(Incumbent)70 years, 304 days

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Article 131 of The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
    In case of death, dismissal, resignation, absence, or illness lasting longer than two months of the President or when his term in office has ended and a new president has not been elected due to some impediments, or similar other circumstances, his first deputy shall assume, with the approval of the Leader, the powers and functions of the President. The Council, consisting of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, head of the judicial power, and the first deputy of the President, is obliged to arrange for a new President to be elected within a maximum period of fifty days. In case of death of the first deputy to the President, or other matters which prevent him to perform his duties or when the President does not have a first deputy, the Leader shall appoint another person in his place. [3]
  2. 1 2 Died in office.
  3. 1 2 Died in office

See also

References

  1. "Assembly of Experts". Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani and resignation from presidency" (in Persian). Khamenei.ir. 16 August 1989. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  3. "Constitution". Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  4. "Constitution". Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.