POL 454 IRAN

I. FROM PERSIA TO IRAN II. INSTITUTIONS III ELECTIONS & AFTERMATH Terms to Know Ayatollah KhomeiniSupreme Leader Ayatollah KhameneiGuardian Council Mohammad MossadeqGreen Movement Mohammad KhatamiAssembly of Experts vilayat-e-faqih Mahmoud Ahmedinejadvilayat-e-faqih Mir Hossain Mousavi Shah Pahlevi

I. FROM PERSIA TO IRAN Persian & Sassanid Empires Overrun: Islamic & Mongol Empires Safavid & Qajar Persia

Iran Constitutional Revolution 1921: Reza Khan coup 1925: Pahlevi dynasty 1941 UK-Soviets replace Reza Shah with son, Mohammad Reza Shah 1953 coup ousts PM Mohammad Mossadeq; Shah assumes full power 1979 Revolution

Iranian Society (Moaddel)

II. INSTITUTIONS of the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC On 11 February 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini was in power and Mehdi Bazargan was his prime minister.

Supreme Leader vilayat-e-faqih Ayatollah Khomeini Ali Khamenei Commander in chief Commander in chief Final authority in foreign policy Final authority in foreign policy Appoints head of judiciary Appoints head of judiciary Leads Friday prayers Leads Friday prayers

86 members directly elected by for 8yr terms. Must have advanced seminary degree Elects, reelects, and can remove the Supreme Leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Assembly of Experts

The President & Executive PRESIDENT Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Elected every 4 yrs (2-term limited): Must be “pious Shi’i faithful” Powers: Chief diplomat & Head of NSC State Planning & Budget Chair VICE PRESIDENTS CABINET

Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) Popularly elected unicameral legislature 4-year terms 5 seats reserved for Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian minorities

Council of Guardians 12 Members ½ clerics chosen by the Leader ½ jurists chosen by the Majlis Power to veto any legislation as unIslamic Power to disqualify candidates for Majlis & President

III ELECTIONS

The Challengers Reformists Reformists Candidate Mir Hossein Candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi Candidate Mehdi Candidate Mehdi Karroubi Ex-President Mohammad Ex-President Mohammad Khatami Moderate Critics Moderate Critics, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Majlis Speaker, Head of Assembly of Experts Rafsanjani, Head of Assembly of Experts

…And in this corner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Basij Guardian Council "Iran's laws do not allow vote-rigging, especially at the level of 11 million…candidates were wrong to believe that by using street protests as a pressure tool, they can compel officials to accept their illegal demands.” Asked to investigate claims that the election was rigged in favor of President said it would only recount some disputed ballot boxes, not annul the vote June 30 partial vote recount confirmed previous tally of ballots & validated Ahmadinejad's reelection

The Green Movement “an Iranian-Islamic movement that is after a free, prosperous and modern and advanced Iran” 2010 Charter release of political prisoners remove illegal limitations on parties and social groups fair trial of those involved in the rigging the presidential vote, torture and killing of those who protested "rational and honorable" foreign policy Feb. 2011: Moussavi & Karroubi under house arrest declares-Islamic-awakening