politics of Iran

The politics of Iran takes place in the framework of a unitary Islamic theocracy which was formed following the overthrow of Iran's millennia-long monarchy by the 1979 Revolution. Iran's system of government (nezam) was described by Juan José Linz in 2000 as combining "the ideological bent of totalitarianism with the limited pluralism of authoritarianism", although it "holds regular elections in which candidates who advocate different policies and incumbents are frequently defeated". Iran was evaluated as an electoral autocracy for year 2024 by V-Dem Institute according to Regimes of the World classification.

The December 1979 constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, declares that Shia Islam is Iran's state religion (around 90–95% of Iranians associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam), and it combines elements of theocracy (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) with a presidential system in a religious democracy. Iran directly elects the president, parliament (Majles) and the Assembly of Experts. All candidates who run for these positions must be vetted by the Guardian Council (which disqualifies the overwhelming majority of the candidates) for their loyalty to the Islamic Republic's system of government. Indirectly elected are the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and the Guardian Council, half of which is made up of Islamic jurists. In addition, there are representatives from appointed organizations, usually under the Supreme Leader's control, to "protect the state's Islamic character". The Supreme Leader is the head of state, above the president.