Iran — Introduction
Background
Iran, previously referred to as Persia until 1935, transitioned to an Islamic republic in 1979 following the overthrow of the ruling monarchy, which resulted in Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI being forced into exile. A theocratic system of governance was established by conservative clerical factions under Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI, where the supreme political authority is held by a religious scholar known as the Supreme Leader, who is only accountable to an elected body of clerics called the Assembly of Experts, comprising 88 members. Tensions between the US and Iran escalated when Iranian students took control of the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979, holding staff members hostage until mid-January 1981. In response, the US severed diplomatic ties with Iran in April 1980. From 1980 to 1988, Iran engaged in a protracted and bloody conflict with Iraq, which eventually extended into the Persian Gulf, resulting in confrontations between the US Navy and Iranian armed forces. Since 1984, Iran has been classified as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The election of reformist Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997, alongside a reformist Majles (legislature) elected in 2000, initiated a political reform movement aimed at addressing public discontent. However, conservative politicians obstructed reform efforts and intensified repression. The municipal and legislative elections in 2003 and 2004 allowed conservatives to regain dominance over Iran's elected governmental bodies, culminating in the inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president in 2005. His reelection in 2009 incited widespread protests due to allegations of electoral fraud, with demonstrations continuing until 2011. In 2013, the Iranian populace elected centrist cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI as president, a veteran regime member who pledged to implement societal and foreign policy reforms. The abrupt increase in gasoline prices in Tehran in 2019 triggered nationwide protests, which were met with violent repression by the regime. Conservatives dominated the Majles elections in 2020, and in 2021, hardline cleric Ebrahim RAISI was elected president, consolidating a conservative hegemony across both elected and unelected governmental institutions.
Iran remains under a wide array of international sanctions and export restrictions due to its involvement in terrorism, proliferation of weapons, violations of human rights, and issues regarding its nuclear program. Following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action's (JCPOA) Implementation Day in 2016, Iran received relief from nuclear-related sanctions in return for nuclear concessions. However, in 2018, the US reinstated nuclear-related sanctions after ceasing its participation in the JCPOA. As of October 2023, the EU and the UK have opted to uphold nuclear-proliferation-related sanctions against Iran, along with arms and missile embargoes, due to Iran's failure to adhere to its JCPOA commitments.
During his presidency, RAISI has focused on strengthening Iran's diplomatic relations with anti-US nations, particularly China and Russia, to mitigate the impact of US sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while also endorsing negotiations aimed at restoring a nuclear agreement that commenced in 2021. RAISI faced nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022 and endured for over three months following the death of Mahsa AMINI, a Kurdish Iranian woman, while in the custody of the morality police. The protests, primarily led by youth and women, called for regime change.