The current government structure of Iran came as a result of 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran that deposed the monarchical shah of Iran. The state is headed by a supreme leader with the title of Ayatollah, which is Islamic in connotation. The Ayatollah is a position that is not elected by the public but indirectly elected the Assembly of Experts. The Ayatollah has the ultimate power in Iran, according to the Iranian government’s constitution. He is responsible for the “delineation and supervision of the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He, therefore, has the last word in matters of foreign and domestic policy. He is also commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces and intelligence agencies. He alone has the authority to declare war. Iran’s government is very top heavy as the Ayatollah also has the authority to appoint and dismiss members of the judiciary, state radio and television networks, and the commander of the Revolutionary guard corps, the Iranian government’s national defense force. The current Ayatollah of the Islamic Republic is Ayatollah Khameini.

The second highest position of the Iranian government infrastructure is the President. The president is elected and has a very public presence in matters of domestic and foreign policy. The current president of Iran is Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad has the authority over the Iranian government’s economic policy. He has nominal rule of over the Supreme National Security Council and Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The president has a cabinet of 22 ministers of which are appointed by the Iranian parliament.

The Parliament of Iran is an elected legislative body that passes laws, ratifies treaties, and approves the State’s budget. The parliaments laws must be approved by the Council of Guardians to ensure that new legislation is in accordance with Islamic law. The Council of Guardians is a body of Islamic clerics and scholars appointed by the Supreme Leader. The Assembly of Experts is a group of 86 Islamic clerics that approve the candidates for president and parliament. The Assembly is elected by the public and must consist of the top Islamic scholars of the country. The Assembly is also the entity that appoints the Supreme leader and reaffirms the Supreme Leader’s rule. Most new Supreme leaders are appointed from among the Assemply of Experts, therefore the tenure of the Supreme Leader is generally for the duration of the Supreme Leader’s life from the time he is appointed.