IRAN

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

A branch of Iran's Armed Forces founded after the 1979 revolution by order of Ayatollah Khomeini. Intended to protect the country's Islamic Republic system.

Sunni

A branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad***

Supreme Leader

A cleric elected to be the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Guardian Council

A committee created in the Iranian constitution to oversee the Majiles

Expediency Council

A committee set up in Iran to resolve differences between the Majiles and the Guardian Council.

Rentier state

A country that obtains much of its revenue from one natural sources

Shiite

A group of Islamic religion that believes that its religious leader should be chosen based on heredity***

Ayatollah

A high ranking cleric (religious leader) in Iran. "Sign of God"

Guardianship

A legal term giving a person legal authority to make decisions (the clerics)

OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

An organization dedicated to achieving stability in the price of oil, avoiding price fluctuations, and generally furthering the interests of the member states

bazaar

An urban marketplace where shops, workshops, small businesses, and export-importers are located.

Ayatollah Khamenei

Current supreme leader of Iran

Muhammad Reza Pahlavi (Shah)

Dictator ruler of Iran from 1941 to 1979. He was supported by the US, led the white movement. Overthrown during the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Assembly of Experts

Group that nominates and can remove the Leader. The assembly is elected by the general electorate, but almost all its members are clerics

Hezbollahis

In Iran: religious vigilantes "Partisans of God"

Guardianship of the Jurist/Jurist's

Iranian clergy rules because they are divinely appointed guardians of both the law and the people. Can ensure Iran is an Islamic republic.

Sharia

Islamic law

White Revolution

Policy of reforms enacted by Reza Shah, beginning in 1963, to rapidly modernize and Westernize Iran

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President of Iran from 2005 to 2013, conservative, his win of 2009 election led to green movement

Hassan Rouhani

President of Iran from 2013-2021, conservative but also reformer, led the "Iran nuclear deal"

Ayatollah Khomeini

Shiite religious leader who led the overthrow of the shah of Iran in 1979, led the revolution, and created an Islamic Republic of Iran.

Majles

The Iranian parliament, from the Arabic term for "assembly."

Chador

a large piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head and upper body leaving only the face exposed, worn especially by Muslim women.

Bonyad

charitable trusts in Iran that play a major role in Iran's non-petroleum economy, channeling revenues to groups supporting the Islamic Republic***

Muhammad Mossadeq

democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran; stringent nationalism who led the nationalization of Iranian oil; removed from power in 1953 by a CIA led coup

Ebrahim Raisi

Current president of Iran

Green Movement

Political movement that arose after the 2009 Iranian presidential election, in which protesters protested the corruption of Ahmadinejad's election win

Basij

"People's militia," which serves as a public morals police, loosely organized military***