The Constitution of Iran — The Revolution That Rewrote Everything
Iran — Constitution Profile
| 📅 Active Since | December 3, 1979 (Revised 1989) |
| 🏛️ Government | Islamic Republic |
| 🌍 Capital | Tehran |
| 📄 Total Articles | 175 Articles in 12 Chapters |
| ✏️ Total Amendments | Revised 1989 |
| ☪️ State Religion | Islam (Twelver Ja'fari school) |
The Revolution That Rewrote Everything — In Less Than One Year
On February 11, 1979, one of the most dramatic political events of the twentieth century unfolded in Iran.
In a matter of days, a 2,500-year-old monarchy collapsed. The Shah fled the country. And Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — a 79-year-old cleric who had spent years in exile — returned to Tehran to lead a revolution that would shake the entire world.
Within ten months, Iran had a brand new constitution — one unlike anything the world had ever seen before.
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran was not just a new set of laws. It was an entirely new theory of government — one that placed religious authority above all other powers in the state.
The 98.2% Vote — And the People Who Were Not Counted
When Iranians voted on the new Islamic Republic in March 1979, the official result was extraordinary.
98.2% of eligible voters approved the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
It was one of the most lopsided referendum results in the history of any nation on earth.
But the story behind that number is more complicated.
Several major groups — secular nationalists, leftists, and Kurdish communities — boycotted the vote entirely. They argued that the referendum offered voters only two choices: Islamic Republic or nothing. There was no option for a different kind of republic, a secular state, or a constitutional monarchy.
The total number of votes cast was almost five million fewer than the earlier referendum that had ended the monarchy.
98.2% of those who voted said yes. But millions of Iranians never got a chance to say anything at all.
The Supreme Leader — Above the President, Above Parliament, Above the Courts
Iran's Constitution created something that exists nowhere else in the world.
At the very top of Iran's government sits not the President — but the Supreme Leader.
The Supreme Leader is a senior Islamic scholar — a faqih — who holds authority over every branch of government. He commands the armed forces. He appoints the heads of the judiciary. He can approve or block presidential candidates. He oversees state television and radio.
The President of Iran — the person most of the world sees as Iran's leader — is actually the second most powerful person in the country under the Constitution.
This system is called Velayat-e Faqih — the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist. It is based on the idea that in the absence of the hidden Twelfth Imam, a qualified Islamic scholar must govern on his behalf until the end of times.
It is one of the most unique constitutional structures ever created — a government that derives its ultimate legitimacy not from the people, but from God.
The Guardian Council — The Body That Can Erase Your Vote
Iran's Constitution created a body called the Guardian Council — twelve senior scholars and jurists who hold one of the most extraordinary powers in any constitutional system on earth.
The Guardian Council can disqualify any candidate from running for President or Parliament — before a single vote is cast.
They can also veto any law passed by Parliament if they decide it conflicts with Islamic principles.
In practice, this means that Iranian elections happen — people vote, results are counted, winners are announced. But who is allowed to run, and what laws the winners can pass, is controlled by twelve unelected scholars.
It is a system where democracy and theocracy exist simultaneously — and where theocracy always has the final word.
The Draft That Started in Paris — And Ended Completely Different
Here is something almost nobody knows about the Iranian Constitution.
The original draft was written not in Tehran — but in Paris, where Khomeini was living in exile in the months before the revolution.
That original draft was structured like the French Fifth Republic Constitution — with separation of powers between executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It made no mention of Velayat-e Faqih. It was essentially a democratic constitution with an Islamic character.
But when the Assembly of Experts met to finalize the document, the clerical faction took control. The concept of Velayat-e Faqih was inserted. The structure was fundamentally transformed.
The constitution that Khomeini brought from Paris and the constitution that came into force in December 1979 were barely the same document.
The Constitution That Cannot Change One Thing
Iran's Constitution can be amended. There is a formal process for revisions — and it was used in 1989 to make significant changes, including eliminating the post of Prime Minister.
But one part of the Constitution is declared permanently immutable.
Article 4 states that all laws and regulations must be based on Islamic criteria. And the Guardian Council is the final judge of whether this standard is met.
Additionally, the official religion of Iran — Islam, specifically the Twelver Ja'fari school — is declared to be "eternally immutable."
No future generation, no referendum, no revolution can change this. It is written into the constitution as permanent and beyond the reach of any human authority.
The Religious Minorities With Reserved Seats
Despite being an Islamic Republic, Iran's Constitution contains one remarkable provision that surprises most people.
The Constitution guarantees reserved seats in Parliament for religious minorities — specifically Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, and Armenian Christians.
Each of these communities elects its own representative to the Islamic Consultative Assembly — a parliament that otherwise operates entirely on Islamic principles.
It is one of the constitutional paradoxes that defines Iran — a theocratic republic that simultaneously mandates formal political representation for non-Muslim minorities.
Constitution at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Adopted | October 24, 1979 |
| Came into Effect | December 3, 1979 |
| Revised | July 28, 1989 |
| Total Articles | 175 |
| Total Chapters | 12 |
| System of Government | Islamic Republic — Velayat-e Faqih |
| Supreme Leader | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (since 1989) |
| State Religion | Islam — Twelver Ja'fari school (eternally immutable) |
| Official Language | Persian (Farsi) |
| Referendum Result | 98.2% approved Islamic Republic (March 1979) |
| Religious Minority Seats | Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians — reserved parliamentary seats |
📥 Download the Full Constitution of Iran
Read and download the complete, official English text of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
👉 Read Constitution of Iran — Full Text
A revolution that rewrote everything in ten months. A Supreme Leader above all other powers. A constitution with one clause that can never be changed. Which part of Iran's constitutional story surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments below.
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