List of presidents of Iran

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* * *

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This is a list of the presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the establishment of that office in 1980. The president of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in the country. The current president, Masoud Pezeshkian has been in office since 28 July 2024 after winning the 2024 Iranian presidential election.

## Background

[edit]

After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and referendum to create the Islamic Republic on March 29 and 30, the new government needed to craft a new constitution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered an election for the Assembly of Experts, the body tasked with writing the constitution.[1] The assembly presented the constitution on October 24, 1979, and Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini and Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan approved it. This was also approved in constitutional referendum on December 2 and 3.

The 1979 Constitution designated the supreme leader as the head of state and the president and prime minister as the heads of government. The post of prime minister was abolished after the 1989 constitutional referendum.

The first Iranian presidential election was held on January 25, 1980 and resulted in the election of Abolhassan Banisadr with 76% of the votes. Banisadr was impeached on June 22, 1981 by Parliament. Until the early election on July 24, 1981, the duties of the president were undertaken by the Provisional Presidential Council. Mohammad-Ali Rajai was elected president on July 24, 1981 and took office on August 2. Rajai remained in office for less than one month, with both he and his prime minister being assassinated on August 30, 1981. Once again, a Provisional Presidential Council filled the office until October 13, 1981 when Ali Khamenei was elected president.

Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani were each elected president for two terms. Ebrahim Raisi was the eighth president, serving from his election in 2021 until his death on May 19, 2024 leaving the office occupied in an acting capacity by First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber. Masoud Pezeshkian was elected as the current president on July 6, 2024.

## List of officeholders

[edit]

### Islamic Republic of Iran (1979-1989)

[edit]

#### 1st Constitution (1979–1989)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Political party  | Election  | Previous office  | Prime minister | Cabinet
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
The Council of the Islamic Revolution deputised during the interim (3 December 1979 – 4 February 1980).[a]

| Abolhassan Banisadr
سید ابوالحسن بنی‌صدر
(1933–2021)
| 4 February 1980| 22 June 1981| 1 year, 138 days| Independent| 1980| Minister of Finance
(1979–1980)| Mohammad-Ali Rajai| Rajai
The Presidential Council deputised during the interim (22 June 1981 – 2 August 1981).[a]

| Mohammad-Ali Rajai
محمدعلی رجائی
(1933–1981)
| 2 August 1981| 30 August 1981[b]| 28 days| IATI| 1981 (Jul)| Prime Minister of Iran
(1980–1981)| Mohammad-Javad Bahonar| Bahonar
The Presidential Council deputised during the interim (30 August 1981 – 9 October 1981).[a]

| Ali Khamenei
علی خامنه ای
(born 1939)
| 9 October 1981| 16 August 1989[2]| 7 years, 311 days| IRP
CCA| 1981 (Oct)
1985| Member of the Parliament of Iran
(1980–1981)| Mir-Hossein Mousavi| Mousavi I–II

#### 2nd Constitution (from 1989)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Political party  | Election  | Previous office  | First vice president | Cabinet
Took office  | Left office  | Time in office

| Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی
(1934–2017)
| 16 August 1989[2]| 3 August 1997| 7 years, 352 days| CCA| 1989
1993| Speaker of the Parliament of Iran
(1980–1989)| Hassan Habibi| Rafsanjani I–II

| Mohammad Khatami
محمد خاتمی
(born 1943)
| 3 August 1997| 3 August 2005| 8 years| ACC| 1997
2001| Minister of Culture
(1982–1992)| Hassan Habibi
Mohammad Reza Aref| Khatami I–II

| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
محمود احمدی‌نژاد
(born 1956)
| 3 August 2005| 3 August 2013| 8 years| ABII| 2005
2009| Mayor of Tehran
(2003–2005)| Parviz Davoodi
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei
Mohammad-Reza Rahimi| Ahmadinejad I–II

| Hassan Rouhani
حسن روحانی
(born 1948)
| 3 August 2013| 3 August 2021| 8 years| MDP| 2013
2017| Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council
(1989–2005)| Eshaq Jahangiri| Rouhani I–II

| Ebrahim Raisi
ابراهیم رئیسی
(1960–2024)
| 3 August 2021| 19 May 2024[b]| 2 years, 290 days| CCA| 2021| Chief Justice
(2019–2021)| Mohammad Mokhber| Raisi

| Mohammad Mokhber[a]
محمد مخبر
(born 1955)
Acting
| 19 May 2024| 28 July 2024| 70 days| Independent| –| Vice President
(2021–2024)| –| Mokhber

| Masoud Pezeshkian
مسعود پزشکیان
(born 1954)
| 28 July 2024| Incumbent| 129 days| Independent| 2024| Minister of Health and Medical Education
(2001–2005)| Mohammad Reza Aref| Pezeshkian

## Timeline

[edit]

## Presidential age-related data

[edit]

No. | President  | Born  | Age at
start of presidency | Age at
end of presidency | Time in office  | Post-presidency
timespan  | Lifespan

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Died  | Age
1  | Abolhassan Banisadr | Mar 22, 1933 | 46 years, 319 days
Feb 4, 1980 | 48 years, 92 days
Jun 22, 1981 | 1 year, 138 days  | 40 years, 109 days  | Oct 9, 2021 | 88 years, 201 days
2  | Mohammad-Ali Rajai | Jun 15, 1933 | 48 years, 48 days
Aug 2, 1981 | 48 years, 76 days
Aug 30, 1981 | 28 days  | 0 days[c] | Aug 30, 1981 | 48 years, 76 days
3  | Ali Khamenei | Jul 16, 1939 | 42 years, 85 days
Oct 9, 1981 | 50 years, 31 days
Aug 16, 1989 | 7 years, 311 days  | 35 years, 110 days |

| 85 years, 141 days
4  | Akbar Rafsanjani | Aug 25, 1934 | 54 years, 356 days
Aug 16, 1989 | 62 years, 343 days
Aug 3, 1997 | 7 years, 352 days  | 19 years, 158 days  | Jan 8, 2017 | 82 years, 136 days
5  | Mohammad Khatami | Oct 14, 1943 | 53 years, 293 days
Aug 3, 1997 | 61 years, 293 days
Aug 3, 2005 | 8 years, 0 days  | 19 years, 123 days |

| 81 years, 51 days
6  | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Oct 28, 1956 | 48 years, 279 days
Aug 3, 2005 | 56 years, 279 days
Aug 3, 2013 | 8 years, 0 days  | 11 years, 123 days |

| 68 years, 37 days
7  | Hassan Rouhani | Nov 12, 1948 | 64 years, 264 days
Aug 3, 2013 | 72 years, 264 days
Aug 3, 2021 | 8 years, 0 days  | 3 years, 123 days |

| 76 years, 22 days
8  | Ebrahim Raisi | Dec 14, 1960 | 60 years, 232 days
Aug 3, 2021 | 63 years, 157 days
May 19, 2024 | 2 years, 290 days  | 0 days[c] | May 19, 2024 | 63 years, 157 days
\-  | Mohammad Mokhber

(Acting)

| Jun 26, 1955 | 68 years, 328 days
May 19, 2024 | 69 years, 32 days
Jul 28, 2024 | 70 days  | 129 days |

| 69 years, 161 days
9  | Masoud Pezeshkian | Sep 29, 1954 | 69 years, 303 days
Jul 28, 2024 | (Incumbent) | 129 days | (Incumbent) |

| 70 years, 66 days

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Article 131 of The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
In case of death, dismissal, resignation, absence, or illness lasting longer than two months of the President or when his term in office has ended and a new president has not been elected due to some impediments, or similar other circumstances, his first deputy shall assume, with the approval of the Leader, the powers and functions of the President. The Council, consisting of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, head of the judicial power, and the first deputy of the President, is obliged to arrange for a new President to be elected within a maximum period of fifty days. In case of death of the first deputy to the President, or other matters which prevent him to perform his duties or when the President does not have a first deputy, the Leader shall appoint another person in his place.[3]
2. ^ a b Died in office.
3. ^ a b Died in office

## See also

[edit]

* Supreme Leader of Iran
* President of Iran
* List of vice presidents of Iran
* List of heads of state of Iran
* Prime Minister of Iran
* List of prime ministers of Iran
* List of speakers of the Parliament of Iran

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Assembly of Experts". Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
2. ^ a b "Letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani and resignation from presidency" (in Persian). Khamenei.ir. 16 August 1989. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
3. ^ "Constitution". Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.

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* t
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Presidents of Iran (list)

* Abolhassan Banisadr (1980–1981)
* Mohammad-Ali Rajai (1981)
* Ali Khamenei (1981–1989)
* Akbar Rafsanjani (1989–1997)
* Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005)
* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005–2013)
* Hassan Rouhani (2013–2021)
* Ebrahim Raisi (2021–2024)
* Mohammad Mokhber (acting, 2024)
* Masoud Pezeshkian (2024–present)

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*[No.]: Order of presidency