Editing History of Iran (section)

== Contemporary period ==
=== Revolution and the Islamic Republic (1979 to present) ===
{{Main|Iranian Revolution|History of the Islamic Republic of Iran}}
[[File:Imam Khomeini in Mehrabad.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Ayatollah [[Khomeini]] returns to Iran after 14 years exile in France on 1 February 1979.]]

The Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution,<ref name = "Chamber">{{Cite web|title=History of Iran: Islamic Revolution of 1979|url=https://www.iranchamber.com/history/islamic_revolution/islamic_revolution.php|access-date=2023-03-16|website=www.iranchamber.com}}</ref> was the [[revolution]] that transformed Iran from an absolute [[Pahlavi dynasty|monarchy]] under [[Shah]] [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] to an [[Islamic republic]] under [[Ayatollah]] [[Ruhollah Khomeini]], one of the leaders of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic.<ref name = "Britannica"/> Its time span can be said to have begun in January 1978 with the first major demonstrations,<ref>{{Cite web
|year=2018|orig-date=1998|title=The Iranian Revolution|url=http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch29ir.html|access-date=2023-03-16|last = Smitha | first = Frank E.
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010233759/http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch29ir.html |archive-date=2016-10-10
}}</ref> and concluded with the approval of the new [[theocratic]] Constitution—whereby Ayatollah Khomeini became [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] of the country—in December 1979.<ref name="Britannica Khomeini">{{Cite encyclopaedia
| url = https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruhollah-Khomeini
| title= Ruhollah Khomeini
| encyclopedia= Britannica
| last = Afari | first = Janet
| date= 19 May 2023
| access-date= 2023-05-21
}}</ref>

In between, [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] left the country for exile in January 1979 after strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country, and on 1 February 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran.<ref name="Britannica Khomeini"/> The final collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty occurred shortly after on 11 February when Iran's military declared itself "neutral" after guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah in armed street fighting. Iran officially became an Islamic Republic on 1 April 1979, after Iranians overwhelmingly approved a [[1979 Iranian Islamic Republic referendum|national referendum]] to make it so a day before.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-202892 Iran Islamic Republic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060316040030/https://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-202892 |date=2006-03-16 }}, Encyclopædia Britannica.</ref>

==== Ideology of the 1979 Iranian Revolution ====
{{Further|Ideology of the Iranian Revolution}}

The ideology of the revolutionary government was populist, nationalist and most of all [[Shia Islam|Shi'a Islamic]]. Its unique constitution is based on the concept of ''[[Islamic Government|velayat-e faqih]]'' the idea advanced by Khomeini that Muslims – in fact everyone – requires "guardianship", in the form of rule or supervision by the leading [[Faqih|Islamic jurist]] or jurists.<ref>Dabashi, ''Theology of Discontent'' (1993), p.419, 443</ref> Khomeini served as this ruling jurist, or [[Supreme Leader of Iran|supreme leader]], until his death in 1989.

Iran's rapidly modernising, capitalist economy was replaced by populist and Islamic economic and cultural policies. Much industry was [[nationalized]], laws and schools Islamicized, and Western influences banned.

The Islamic revolution also created great impact around the world. In the non-Muslim world it has changed the image of Islam, generating much interest in the politics and spirituality of Islam,<ref>Shawcross, William, ''The Shah's Last Ride'' (1988), p. 110.</ref> along with "fear and distrust towards Islam" and particularly the Islamic Republic and its founder.<ref name=nasr>{{cite book
| last = Nasr
| first = Vali
| title=The Shia Revival
| publisher= W.W. Norton | year=2007
| isbn =  978-0-393-06640-1
| page =138}}</ref>

=== {{anchor|Khomeini (1979-1989)}}Khomeini (1979–1989) ===
Khomeini served as leader of the revolution or as [[Supreme Leader of Iran]] from 1979 to his death on 3 June 1989. This era was dominated by the consolidation of the revolution into a [[theocracy|theocratic]] republic under Khomeini, and by the costly and bloody [[Iran–Iraq War|war with Iraq]].

The consolidation lasted until 1982–3,<ref>''Encyclopedia of Islam and Muslim World'', Thomson Gale, 2004, p.357 (article by Stockdale, Nancy, L.)</ref><ref>Keddie, ''Modern Iran'', (2006), p.241</ref> as Iran coped with the damage to its economy, military, and apparatus of government, and protests and uprisings by secularists, leftists, and more traditional Muslims—formerly ally revolutionaries but now rivals—were effectively suppressed. Many political opponents were executed by the new regimes. Following the events of the revolution, Marxist guerrillas and federalist parties revolted in regions comprising [[1979 Khuzestan uprising|Khuzistan]], [[1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran|Kurdistan]] and [[Gonbad-e Qabus (city)|Gonbad-e Qabus]], resulting in severe fighting between rebels and revolutionary forces. These revolts began in April 1979 and lasted between several months to over a year, depending on the region. The [[1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran|Kurdish uprising]], led by the KDPI, was the most violent, lasting until 1983 and resulting in 10,000 casualties.

In the summer of 1979 a new constitution giving Khomeini a powerful post as guardian jurist Supreme Leader<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranonline.com/iran/iran-info/Government/constitution-8.html |title=Iranian Government Constitution, English Text  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123063337/http://www.iranonline.com/iran/iran-info/Government/constitution-8.html |archive-date=2010-11-23 }}</ref> and a clerical [[Council of Guardians]] power over legislation and elections, was drawn up by an [[Assembly of Experts for Constitution]]. The new constitution was approved by referendum in December 1979.

==== {{anchor|Iran hostage crisis (1979-1981)}}Iran hostage crisis (1979–1981) ====
{{Main|Iran hostage crisis}}
An early event in the history of the Islamic republic that had a long-term impact was the [[Iran hostage crisis]]. Following the admitting of the former Shah of Iran into the United States for cancer treatment, on 4 November 1979, Iranian students [[Iran hostage crisis|seized US embassy personnel]], labeling the embassy a "den of spies."<ref name="carterpbs">[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/sfeature/sf_hostage.html PBS, American Experience, Jimmy Carter, "444 Days: America Reacts"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119224031/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/sfeature/sf_hostage.html |date=2011-01-19 }}, retrieved 1 October 2007</ref> Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days until January 1981.<ref>Guests of the Ayatollah: The Iran Hostage Crisis: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam, Mark Bowden, p. 127, 200</ref> An American [[Operation Eagle Claw|military attempt to rescue the hostages]] failed.<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/05/the-desert-one-debacle/4803/2/|title=The Desert One Debacle|first=Mark|last=Bowden|website=[[The Atlantic]]|date=May 2006|access-date=2017-03-07|archive-date=2012-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730081638/http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/05/the-desert-one-debacle/4803/2|url-status=live}}</ref>

The takeover was enormously popular in Iran, where thousands gathered in support of the hostage takers, and it is thought to have strengthened the prestige of the [[Ayatollah Khomeini]] and consolidated the hold of anti-Americanism. It was at this time that Khomeini began referring to America as the "[[Great Satan]]." In America, where it was considered a violation of the long-standing principle of international law that [[diplomatic immunity|diplomats]] may be expelled but not held captive, it created a powerful anti-Iranian backlash. Relations between the two countries have remained deeply antagonistic and American [[international sanctions]] have hurt Iran's economy.<ref>{{Cite journal 
|title=A Review Of US Unilateral Sanctions Against Iran|url=http://www.mafhoum.com/press3/108E16.htm|access-date=2023-03-16
| journal= Middle East Economic Survey
| year = 2002
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010024317/http://www.mafhoum.com/press3/108E16.htm |archive-date=2017-10-10
| volume= 45 | number= 34
| first1 = Herman | last1=Franssen
| first2= Elaine | last2=Morton
}}</ref>

==== Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) ====
{{Main|Iran–Iraq War}}
[[File:Chemical weapon1.jpg|thumb|An Iranian soldier with gas mask during the Iran–Iraq War]]

During this political and social crisis, Iraqi leader [[Saddam Hussein]] attempted to take advantage of the disorder of the Revolution, the weakness of the Iranian military and the revolution's antagonism with Western governments. The once-strong Iranian military had been disbanded during the revolution, and with the Shah ousted, Hussein had ambitions to position himself as the new strong man of the Middle East. He sought to expand Iraq's access to the Persian Gulf by acquiring territories that Iraq had claimed earlier from Iran during the Shah's rule.

Of chief importance to Iraq was [[Khuzestan Province|Khuzestan]] which not only boasted a substantial Arab population, but rich oil fields as well. On the unilateral behalf of the [[United Arab Emirates]], the islands of [[Abu Musa]] and the [[Greater and Lesser Tunbs]] became objectives as well. With these ambitions in mind, Hussein planned a full-scale assault on Iran, boasting that his forces could reach the capital within three days. On 22 September 1980, the Iraqi army invaded Iran at Khuzestan, precipitating the [[Iran–Iraq War]]. The attack took revolutionary Iran completely by surprise.

Although Saddam Hussein's forces made several early advances, Iranian forces had pushed the Iraqi army back into Iraq by 1982. Khomeini sought to [[export of revolution|export his Islamic revolution]] westward into Iraq, especially on the majority Shi'a Arabs living in the country. The war then continued for six more years until 1988, when Khomeini, in his words, "drank the cup of poison" and accepted a truce mediated by the United Nations.

Tens of thousands of Iranian civilians and military personnel were killed when Iraq used [[chemical weapons]] in its warfare. [[International aid to combatants in the Iran–Iraq War|Iraq was financially backed]] by [[Egypt]], the Arab countries of the [[Persian Gulf]], the Soviet Union and the [[Warsaw Pact]] states, the United States (beginning in 1983), France, the United Kingdom, Germany, [[Brazil]], and the [[People's Republic of China]] (which also sold weapons to Iran).

There were more than 182,000 Kurdish victims<ref name="r1">Centre for Documents of The Imposed War, Tehran. (مرکز مطالعات و تحقیقات جنگ)</ref> of Iraq's chemical weapons during the eight-year war. The total Iranian casualties of the war were estimated to be between 500,000 and 1,000,000. Almost all relevant international agencies have confirmed that Saddam engaged in chemical warfare to blunt Iranian [[human wave attack]]s; these agencies unanimously confirmed that Iran never used chemical weapons during the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/news/iran/1997/970205-480132.htm|title=Iran, 'Public Enemy Number One'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620160352/https://fas.org/news/iran/1997/970205-480132.htm|archive-date=2015-06-20}}</ref><!--
--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/cw/intro.htm|title=Chemical Weapons Information – Federation of American Scientists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620160905/https://fas.org/cw/intro.htm|archive-date=2015-06-20}}</ref><!--
--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiwar.com/glantz/?articleid=2804|title=Winter Soldier: Domingo Rosas – Antiwar.com Original|date=8 November 2008|access-date=29 October 2007|archive-date=6 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606082652/http://www.antiwar.com/glantz/?articleid=2804|url-status=live}}</ref><!--
--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Chemical/2340_2965.html|title=Iran – Countries – NTI|access-date=2007-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408212924/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Chemical/2340_2965.html|archive-date=2010-04-08}}</ref>

Starting on 19 July 1988 and lasting for about five months the [[Islamic Republic of Iran|government]] systematically executed thousands of political prisoners across Iran. This is commonly referred to as the [[1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners]] or the 1988 Iranian Massacre. The main target was the membership of the [[People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran]] (PMOI), although a lesser number of political prisoners from other leftist groups were also included such as the [[Tudeh Party of Iran]] (Communist Party).<ref>[http://www.pww.org/article/view/5754/1/231/ Iranian party demands end to repression] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050924060950/http://www.pww.org/article/view/5754/1/231/ |date=2005-09-24 }}</ref><ref>Abrahamian, Ervand, ''Tortured Confessions'', University of California Press, 1999, 209–228</ref> Estimates of the number executed vary from 1,400<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.holycrime.com/Images/Listof1367Massacre.pdf |title=Massacre 1988 (Pdf) |access-date=2008-07-30 |archive-date=2021-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225140452/http://www.holycrime.com/Images/Listof1367Massacre.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> to 30,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=160|title=Iran Focus|date=5 September 2004 |access-date=2008-07-30|archive-date=2008-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220155725/http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=160|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/02/04/wiran04.xml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210125211/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2001%2F02%2F04%2Fwiran04.xml|archive-date=2006-02-10|title=News|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=2016-03-15|access-date=2021-08-04}}</ref>

=== Khamenei (1989–present) ===
On his deathbed in 1989, [[Khomeini]] appointed a 25-man Constitutional Reform Council which named then president [[Ali Khamenei]] as the next Supreme Leader, and made a number of changes to Iran's constitution.<ref>Abrahamian, ''History of Modern Iran'', (2008), p.182</ref> A smooth transition followed Khomeini's death on 3 June 1989. While Khamenei lacked Khomeini's "charisma and clerical standing", he developed a network of supporters within Iran's armed forces and its economically powerful [[Bonyad|religious foundations]].<ref name="ReferenceA">"Who's in Charge?" by Ervand Abrahamian ''London Review of Books'', 6 November 2008</ref> Under his reign Iran's regime is said – by at least one observer – to resemble more "a clerical oligarchy ... than an autocracy."<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==== Rafsanjani: pragmatic conservativism (1989–1997) ====
Ali-[[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]] succeeded Khamenei as president on 3 August 1989, as a pragmatic conservative who served two four-year terms and focused his efforts on rebuilding the country's economy and infrastructure damaged by war, though hampered by low oil prices. Rafsanjani sought to restore confidence in the government among the general population by privatizing the companies that had been nationalized in the first few years of the Islamic Republic, as well as by bringing in qualified technocrats to manage the economy. The state of their economy also influenced the government to move towards ending their diplomatic isolation. This was achieved through the reestablishment of normalized relations with neighbors such as [[Saudi Arabia]] and an attempt to improve its reputation in the region with assertions that its revolution was not exportable to other states.<ref>''Treacherous Alliance : the secret dealings of Israel, Iran and the United States'' by Trita Pasri, Yale University Press, 2007, p.145</ref> During the [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]] in 1991 the country remained [[neutral country|neutral]], restricting its action to the condemnation of the U.S. and allowing fleeing Iraqi aircraft and refugees into the country.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

Iran in the 1990s had a greater secular behavior and admiration for Western popular culture than in the previous decades. This admiration had become a way in which the urban population expressed their resentment at the invasive Islamic policies of the government.<ref name="Westview Press">{{cite book|last1=Cleveland|first1=William L.|title=A History of the Modern Middle East|date=2016|publisher=Westview Press|location=Boulder, CO|isbn=978-0-8133-4980-0}}</ref> The pressures from the population placed on the new Supreme Leader Ayatollah [[Ali Khamenei]] led to an uneasy alliance between him and President [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]. Through this alliance they attempted to hinder the [[ulama]]'s ability to gain further control of the state. In 1989, they created a sequence of constitutional amendments that removed the office of prime minister and increased the scope of presidential power. However, these new amendments did not curtail the powers of the [[Supreme Leader of Iran]] in any way; this position still contained the ultimate authority over the armed forces, the making of war and peace, the final say in foreign policy, and the right to intervene in the legislative process whenever he deemed it necessary.<ref name="Westview Press"/>

==== Khatami: reformers and conservatives struggle (1997–2005) ====
[[File:Mohammad Khatami.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mohammad Khatami]], [[Mohammad Khatami's reforms|reformist]] President of Iran from 1997 to 2005]]

President Rafsanjani's economic policies led to stronger relations with the outside world. But his government's relaxation of the enforcement of certain regulations on social behavior were met with some responses of widespread disenchantment among the general population with the ulama as rulers of the country.<ref name="Westview Press"/> This led to the defeat of the government's candidate for president in 1997, who had the backing of the supreme Islamic jurist. He was beaten by an independent candidate from the [[Iranian Reformists|Reformists]], [[Mohammad Khatami]]. He received 69% of the vote and enjoyed particular support from two groups of the population that had felt ostracized by the practices of the state: women and youth. The younger generations in the country had been too young to experience the shah's regime or the revolution that ended it, and now they resented the restrictions placed on their daily lives under the Islamic Republic. Mohammad Khatami's presidency was soon marked by tensions between the [[Mohammad Khatami's reforms|reform-minded government]] and an increasingly conservative and vocal clergy. This rift reached a climax in July 1999 when massive anti-government protests erupted in the streets of [[Tehran]]. The disturbances lasted over a week before police and pro-government vigilantes dispersed the crowds.

Khatami was re-elected in June 2001 but his efforts were repeatedly blocked by the conservatives in the parliament. Conservative elements within Iran's government moved to undermine the reformist movement, banning liberal newspapers and disqualifying candidates for parliamentary elections. This clampdown on dissent, combined with the failure of Khatami to reform the government, led to growing political apathy among Iran's youth.

In June 2003, anti-government protests by several thousand students took place in Tehran.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2980102.stm|title=Iranians protest against clerics|date=11 June 2003|via=bbc.co.uk|access-date=17 April 2006|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213220325/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2980102.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Uprising in Iran
|url=https://iranvajahan.net/|access-date=2023-03-16
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060503222730/http://iranvajahan.net/german/uprising.html
| date = 1 July 2007
| url-status =usurped 
|archive-date= 3 May 2006}}</ref> Several [[human right]]s protests also occurred in 2006.

==== Ahmadinejad: hardline conservatism (2005–2013) ====
[[File:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 2019 02.jpg|right|thumb|upright=.7|[[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] 6th President of Iran from 2005 to 2013]]
In the [[2005 Iranian presidential election]], [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]], mayor of Tehran, became the sixth president of Iran, after winning 62 percent of the vote in the [[runoff election|run-off poll]], against former president Ali-[[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]].<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4740441.stm
| title = Iran hardliner becomes president
| access-date = 2006-12-06
| date = 3 August 2005
| publisher = [[BBC]]
| archive-date = 2019-05-14
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190514040842/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4740441.stm
| url-status = live
}}</ref> During the authorization ceremony he kissed Khamenei's hand in demonstration of his loyalty to him.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&m=09&d=09&a=1
 |title=Behind Ahmadinejad, a Powerful Cleric 
 |access-date=2006-12-06 
 |date=9 September 2006 
 |work=[[The New York Times]] 
  
 |url-status=usurped
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061102205142/http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&m=09&d=09&a=1 
 |archive-date=2 November 2006 
}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tofoiran.packdeal.com/clips/DrIman/20060906-DrIman-CNN-225.asx |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-06-18  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715032350/http://tofoiran.packdeal.com/clips/DrIman/20060906-DrIman-CNN-225.asx |archive-date=2011-07-15 }}</ref>

During this time, the American invasion of Iraq, the overthrow of [[Saddam Hussein]]'s regime and empowerment of its [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]] majority, all strengthened Iran's position in the region particularly in the mainly Shi'a south of Iraq, where a top Shia leader in the week of 3 September 2006 renewed demands for an autonomous Shi'a region.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D890900D-A483-4C19-86C8-41F35135090D.htm |archive-url=http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100418234826/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D890900D-A483-4C19-86C8-41F35135090D.htm  |archive-date=18 April 2010 |title=Iraq prime minister to visit Iran |work=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |date=9 September 2006 }}</ref> At least one commentator (former U.S. Defense Secretary [[William S. Cohen]]) has stated that as of 2009 Iran's growing power has eclipsed [[anti-Zionism]] as the major foreign policy issue in the Middle East.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/29/cohen-says-fear-of-iran-now-tops-wrath-against-isr/|title=Cohen: Middle East fearful of Iran|work=The Washington Times|access-date=2009-07-30|archive-date=2021-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125213616/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/29/cohen-says-fear-of-iran-now-tops-wrath-against-isr/|url-status=live}}</ref>

During 2005 and 2006, there were claims that [[Iran–United States relations#Claims of threats of a military attack on Iran by the US|the United States]] and [[Iran–Israel relations#Iran responding to Israeli threats|Israel]] were planning to attack Iran, with the most cited reason being [[nuclear program of Iran|Iran's civilian nuclear energy program]] which the United States and some other states fear could lead to [[Iran and weapons of mass destruction#Nuclear weapons|a nuclear weapons program]]. China and Russia opposed military action of any sort and opposed [[economic sanctions]]. Khamenei issued a [[fatwa]] forbidding the production, stockpiling and use of [[nuclear weapon]]s. The fatwa was cited in an official statement by the Iranian government at an August 2005 meeting of the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] (IAEA) in [[Vienna]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://countervortex.org/blog/iran-issues-anti-nuke-fatwa/|title=Iran issues anti-nuke fatwa|date=12 August 2005|last=Weinberg|first=Bill|publisher=Counter Vortex|access-date=30 September 2020|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126045509/https://countervortex.org/blog/iran-issues-anti-nuke-fatwa/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130810154009/http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=302258 Iran, holder of peaceful nuclear fuel cycle technology]}}</ref>

In 2009, [[Iranian presidential election, 2009|Ahmadinejad's reelection]] was hotly disputed and marred by large [[2009 Iranian presidential election protests|protests]] that formed the "greatest domestic challenge" to the leadership of the Islamic Republic "in 30 years". The resulting social unrest is widely known as the [[Iranian Green Movement]].<ref name="mostaghim">{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/?view=page8&feed:a=latimes_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=47678542|title=California, national and world news|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2016-08-10|archive-date=2019-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502000537/https://www.latimes.com/?view=page8&feed:a=latimes_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=47678542|url-status=live}}</ref> Reformist opponent [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]] and his supporters alleged voting irregularities and by 1 July 2009, 1000 people had been arrested and 20 killed in street demonstrations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jul/01/mousavi-iran-government-declared-illegitimate|title=Mousavi says new Ahmadinejad government 'illegitimate'|first=Ian |last=Black |date=1 July 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=17 December 2016|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203110725/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jul/01/mousavi-iran-government-declared-illegitimate|url-status=live}}</ref> Supreme Leader [[Ali Khamenei]] and other Islamic officials blamed foreign powers for fomenting the protest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/16/iran.elections.timeline/|title=Timeline: 2009 Iran presidential elections - CNN.com|website=[[CNN]]|access-date=2009-07-25|archive-date=2016-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428202952/http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/16/iran.elections.timeline/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Rouhani: pragmatism (2013–2021) ====
[[File:Hassan Rouani 2017 portrait.jpg|right|thumb|upright=.8|Hassan Rouhani 2017]]
[[File:Raisi in 2021-02 (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|upright=.8|Ebrahim Raisi in 2021]]

On 15 June 2013, [[Hassan Rouhani]] won the presidential election in Iran, with a total number of 36,704,156 ballots cast; Rouhani won 18,613,329 votes. In his press conference one day after election day, Rouhani reiterated his promise to recalibrate Iran's relations with the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rouhani wins big |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2013/6/15/rouhani-wins-irans-presidential-election-2 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

On 2 April 2015, following eight days of tortuous discussions in Switzerland, which lasted through the night, Iran and six world powers (United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia plus Germany) [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-32166814 agreed] on the outlines of an understanding to limit Iran's nuclear programs, negotiators indicated, as both sides prepared for announcements. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad [[Javad Zarif]] tweeted: "Found solutions. Ready to start drafting immediately." European Union foreign policy chief [[Federica Mogherini]] tweeted that she would meet the press with Zarif after a final meeting of the seven nations in the nuclear talks. She wrote: "Good news."

Reading out a joint statement, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini hailed what she called a "decisive step" after more than a decade of work. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif followed with the same statement in [[Persian language|Persian]]. [[John Kerry|U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry]] and the top diplomats of Britain, France and Germany also briefly took the stage behind them. The deal is intended to be a provisional framework for a comprehensive agreement and was signed in 2015, and marked a significant breakthrough in the 12-year history of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.<ref>{{cite news |title=What is the Iran nuclear deal? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/smart-facts/what-iran-nuclear-deal-n868346 |work=NBC News |date=10 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

When [[Donald Trump]] was campaigning to become [[President of the US]], he repeatedly said he would abandon the [[Iran nuclear deal]]. After he was elected president, the USA announced its withdrawal from the agreement on 8 May 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump declares US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/5/8/donald-trump-declares-us-withdrawal-from-iran-nuclear-deal |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

The Iranian-backed group known as [[Kata'ib Hezbollah]] attacked the United States embassy in Baghdad on 31 December 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Protesters storm US embassy compound in Baghdad |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/31/protesters-storm-us-embassy-compound-in-baghdad |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

On 3 January 2020, the United States military executed a drone strike at [[Baghdad Airport]], killing [[Qasem Soleimani]], the leader of the [[Quds Force]], an elite branch of the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran vows 'harsh' response after US kills commander |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/3/iran-condemns-us-killing-of-quds-force-head-qassem-soleimani |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

On 3 August 2021 [[Ebrahim Raisi]] was elected [[2021 Iranian presidential election|8th President of Iran]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Motamedi |first1=Maziar |title=At inauguration, Raisi promises Iran's 'engagement with world' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/5/irans-raisi-sends-message-of-strength-in-inauguration |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

==== Ebrahim Raisi (2021–2024) ====
Beginning on 16 September 2022 [[Mahsa Amini protests|protests]] started against the [[Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran|government of Iran]] following the death of [[Mahsa Amini]].<ref>{{Cite news |work=Reuters |date=20 September 2022 |title=Protests flare across Iran in violent unrest over woman's death |language=en |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/tehran-governor-accuses-protesters-attacks-least-22-arrested-2022-09-20/ |access-date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927195508/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/tehran-governor-accuses-protesters-attacks-least-22-arrested-2022-09-20/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Strzyżyńska |first1=Weronika |title=Iranian woman dies 'after being beaten by morality police' over hijab law |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/16/iranian-woman-dies-after-being-beaten-by-morality-police-over-hijab-law |access-date=22 September 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=16 September 2022 |language=en |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920020636/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/16/iranian-woman-dies-after-being-beaten-by-morality-police-over-hijab-law |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Leonhardt |first1=David |title=Iran's Ferocious Dissent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/briefing/iran-protests-mahsa-amini.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927061245/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/briefing/iran-protests-mahsa-amini.html |archive-date=27 September 2022 |date=26 September 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 1 April 2024, Israel's air [[Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus|strike]] on an Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus killed an important senior commander of  the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps]] (IRGC), Brig Gen [[Mohammad Reza Zahedi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Several killed in Israeli strike on Iranian consulate in Damascus |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/1/several-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-iranian-consulate-in-damascus-reports |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> In retaliation for the Israeli strike, Iran [[April 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel|attacked]] Israel with over 300 drones and missiles on 13 April. However, the Iranian attack was mainly intercepted either outside Israeli airspace or over the country itself. It was the biggest missile attack in Iranian history, and its first ever direct attack on Israel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why have Israel and Iran attacked each other? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68811276 |date=14 April 2024}}</ref> It was followed by a retaliatory [[April 2024 Israeli strikes on Iran|missile strike]] by Israel on Isfahan, Iran on 19 April.<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel Iran attack: Damage seen at air base in Isfahan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68866548 |date=21 April 2024}}</ref>

On 19 May 2024, Ebrahim Raisi died in a [[2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash|helicopter crash]] in the country’s East Azerbaijan province.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's president, dies in helicopter crash aged 63 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/20/ebrahim-raisi-irans-president-dies-in-helicopter-crash-aged-63 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>  First Vice President [[Mohammad Mokhber]] was appointed acting president after the death of President Raisi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran's new acting president Mohammad Mokhber, a veteran of the regime |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240520-iran-s-new-acting-president-mohammad-mokhber-a-veteran-of-the-regime |work=France 24 |date=20 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Masoud Pezeshkian (2024–present) ==== 

On 28 July 2024, [[Masoud Pezeshkian]] was formally endorsed as Iran's new president by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian, a reformist, won  in a [[2024 Iranian presidential election|presidential election]] runoff on 5 July.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran's supreme leader endorses reformist Pezeshkian as new president. He takes oath Tuesday |url=https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-endorsement-new-president-khamenei-pezeshkian-a9ecb0eb8e20ed8b92602e5d507fe616 |work=AP News |date=28 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

On 31 July 2024, [[Ismail Haniyeh]], political chief of Palestinian political and military organisation [[Hamas]], was [[Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh|assassinated]] in Iran’s capital, Tehran, where he was to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/31/hamass-political-chief-ismail-haniyeh-assassinated-in-iran-state-media |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

On 1 October 2024, Iran launched about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for assassinations of Haniyeh, [[Hassan Nasrallah]] and [[Abbas Nilforoushan]]. On 27 October, Israel responded to that attack by strikes on a missile defence system in the Iranian region of Isfahan.<ref>{{cite news |title=What we know about Israel’s attack on Iran |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr0yvrx4qpo |work=www.bbc.com}}</ref>

In December 2024, the [[fall of the Assad regime]] in Syria, a close ally of Iran, was a severe setback for the political influence of Iran in the region.<ref>{{cite news |title=Assad regime's collapse is a devastating defeat for Iran |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/assad-regimes-collapse-devastating-defeat-iran-rcna183369 |work=NBC News |date=9 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref>