Suffrage: 15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali
Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)
head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since
3 August 1997); First Vice President Hasan Ebrahim HABIBI (since NA
August 1989)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval
elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by
the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA
May 2001)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani elected president;
percent of vote—(Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 69%
Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (270 seats; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 March and 19 April 1996 (next to be held NA
March 2000)
election results: percent of vote—NA; seats—NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: since President KHATAMI's election
in May 1997, several political parties have been licensed including
Executives of Construction, Islamic Iran Solidarity Party, and
Islamic Partnership Front; other important political groupings are:
MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar MUSAVI-KHOINIHA]; Islamic
Political pressure groups and leaders: groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and the Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups include the Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the Society for the Defense of Freedom
International organization participation: CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP,
FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note—Iran has an
Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Fariborz
JAHANSUZAN; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy,
965-4990
Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note—protecting
power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band