History of the Islamic Republic of Iran

This article is about the history of Iran after the 1979 revolution. For the history of Iran before 1979, see History of Iran.
"Khomeinist Iran" redirects here. You may be looking for Iran itself or for the Politics/Government of Iran after the Islamic revolution that toppled the Shah in Iran.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the current Iranian state that has existed since 1979, under the rule of a Supreme Leader and a Islamic theocracy.

One of the most dramatic changes in government in Iran's history was seen with the 1979 Iranian Revolution where Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The authoritarian monarchy was replaced by a long-lasting Shiite Islamic republic based on the principle of guardianship of Islamic jurists, (or Velayat-e faqih), where Shiite jurists serve as head of state and in many powerful governmental roles. A pro-Western, pro-American foreign policy was, for the first Years in power, exchanged for one of "neither east nor west", said to rest on the three "pillars" of mandatory veil (hijab) for women, and opposition to the United States and Israel. A rapidly modernizing capitalist economy was replaced by a populist and Islamic economy and culture.

The leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was the Supreme Leader of Iran until his death in 1989. He was followed by Ali Khamenei.

From 1999 to present, there have been a series of political/social/economic protest movements in Iran, the July 1999 student protests, the June 2003 student protests, the 2009 to 2010 presidential election protests, the Arab spring protests in 2011 to 2012, the October 2016 Monarchist Revolt, the 2017 to 2018 Inflation demonstrations, the 2018 to 2019 General strikes and Bazaar mass closures, the 2019 to 2020 Bloody November/Aban Protests for Gas and Car Fuel, the 2021 to 2022 Water protests, the 2022-2023 Mahsa Amini protests, the March to December 2025 General strikes and water protests, and the 2026 Iranian Uprising and General strikes.


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