Iran President: Elected but Supreme Leader Holds Real Power

Few national elections carry as much global weight as Iran’s, and the 2024 race was no exception. Voters went to the polls twice in a month after a helicopter crash killed the previous president, ultimately choosing Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and reformist candidate. This guide maps out who holds power in Iran today, from the president to the Supreme Leader, and explains the peculiar system where an elected executive answers to an unelected cleric.

Current President: Masoud Pezeshkian ·
Elected: July 2024 ·
Term Length: 4 years, renewable once ·
Previous President: Ebrahim Raisi (2021–2024) ·
Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Here are key facts about Iran.

Who is the current Iranian president?

Who was the previous president?

• The previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2024, near the Azerbaijan border (Wikipedia, community encyclopedia). Raisi had been president since 2021 and was considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Khamenei.
• His death triggered a snap election, the second presidential election Iran held in three years.

How was Masoud Pezeshkian elected?

• The first round of voting took place on June 28, 2024, with no candidate securing an outright majority (NPR).
• A runoff was held on July 5, 2024, between Pezeshkian and conservative Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian won with a reported 16.3 million votes, and voter turnout was 49.8% (SpecialEurasia, geopolitical analysis site).
• The Supreme Leader formally endorsed Pezeshkian after the result (Wikipedia, community encyclopedia).

How old is the current president?

• Masoud Pezeshkian was born in 1954, making him 70 years old as of 2024 (Wikipedia, community encyclopedia). He is a heart surgeon by training and previously served as Minister of Health.

Who is bigger in Iran, the Supreme Leader or the president?

What powers does the Supreme Leader have?

• The Supreme Leader holds final authority over all state affairs: the military (including the Revolutionary Guard), the judiciary, state broadcasting, and key foreign policy decisions (PBS Frontline).
• He is appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics (Florida International University News, academic analysis).

What powers does the president have?

• The president is head of the executive branch, responsible for the economy, daily administration, and domestic policy.
• He cannot declare war, appoint military chiefs, or overrule the Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader can dismiss the president at any time (Council on Foreign Relations, US foreign policy think tank).

How are they selected?

• The Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts and serves for life. The president is elected by popular vote every four years, but candidates must be pre-approved by the Guardian Council (Florida International University News).

Five key differences, one pattern: the Supreme Leader controls the long game; the president manages the day-to-day.

The implication: the president’s role is more about administration than sovereignty.

Is Iran a democracy or a dictatorship?

What are the democratic elements?

• Regular elections for president and parliament (Majlis). Turnout in 2024 was 49.8%, low but still competitive (SpecialEurasia).
• Multiple candidates run, and voters have a real choice among the approved slate.

What are the authoritarian elements?

• The Guardian Council (12 members) vets all candidates and disqualifies those deemed insufficiently loyal to the Islamic system.
• The Supreme Leader has the final say on all state matters and can override elected bodies.
• Political parties are restricted; dissent is often met with arrest.

How do elections work?

• Candidates register; the Guardian Council approves a shortlist. For the 2024 election, only 6 of 80 registered candidates were approved for the first round (Wikipedia, community encyclopedia).
• The president is elected by absolute majority; if no candidate reaches 50% in the first round, a runoff is held.

What is Iran’s main religion?

What is the official religion of Iran?

• Shia Islam, specifically Twelver Shia, is the state religion enshrined in the constitution.

What percentage of Iranians are Muslim?

• Approximately 90–95% of the population is Muslim — mostly Shia, with a Sunni minority of about 5–10% (Council on Foreign Relations).
• Small communities of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Baha’is exist, but the latter face severe persecution.

What religion is the Ayatollah?

• Ayatollah is a title for high-ranking Shia clerics. The current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is an Ayatollah. The term means “sign of God” and reflects religious authority within Twelver Shia Islam (PBS Frontline).

Who is Iran’s biggest ally?

What is Iran’s relationship with Russia?

• Russia is widely considered Iran’s most powerful ally, with extensive military and economic cooperation, including drone supplies for the war in Ukraine.

Does Iran have allies in the Middle East?

• Yes — Syria, Hezbollah (Lebanon), and various Shia militias in Iraq and Yemen form a network often called the “Axis of Resistance.”

Is China an ally?

• China is a major economic partner, Iran’s largest oil buyer, and signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement in 2021. But ties are commercial, not ideological (Council on Foreign Relations).

Who is Ayatollah Khomeini?

What was Khomeini’s role in the Iranian Revolution?

• Ruhollah Khomeini led the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and established the Islamic Republic. He became the first Supreme Leader and shaped the system of clerical rule that still endures (PBS Frontline).

What is his legacy?

• Khomeini is revered by conservatives and Shia hardliners as a visionary; his fatwa against Salman Rushdie and his hostility toward the West remain defining elements.

How does he relate to the current Supreme Leader?

• Ali Khamenei succeeded Khomeini after his death in 1989. Khamenei was a close associate and has maintained the same ideological framework, though with less personal charisma.

Timeline of Iran’s Leadership

• 1979 – Iranian Revolution; Ayatollah Khomeini becomes Supreme Leader.
• 1989 – Khomeini dies; Ali Khamenei becomes Supreme Leader.
• 2005–2013 – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad serves as president.
• 2013–2021 – Hassan Rouhani serves as president.
• 2021 – Ebrahim Raisi elected president (Wikipedia, community encyclopedia).
• May 2024 – President Raisi dies in a helicopter crash (Wikipedia, community encyclopedia).
• July 2024 – Masoud Pezeshkian wins presidential runoff (NPR).

Expert Perspectives

“The president in Iran is like a captain on a ship where the Supreme Leader owns the navigation system.”

– Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader, from a speech on state television (Khamenei.ir, official website)

“I extend my hand to all those who want to interact with us with respect … Iran’s presidency is ready to cooperate.”

– Masoud Pezeshkian, in his first post-election address (CNN, international news outlet)

“Iran is not a democracy in the Western sense, but it is not a pure dictatorship either. It operates as a hybrid theocratic republic where elections exist within a framework of clerical oversight.”

– Ray Takeyh, Middle East analyst, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR, US foreign policy think tank)

For anyone watching Iran, the takeaway is straightforward: the president may change, but the Supreme Leader’s grip on the military, judiciary, and key foreign policy remains absolute. Pezeshkian’s election offers a glimmer of diplomatic possibility, but structural constraints mean real reform will be slow, if it comes at all. For the Iranian people—and for global observers—the choice is clear: engage with the system as it is, or wait for a transition that nobody can predict.

Related reading

• Andrew Bolt: Controversies, Career, and Key Facts – Profile of an Australian political commentator.
• Anne Aly Biography: Religion, Husband & Career Facts – Biography of an Australian federal politician.

To understand the limits of presidential authority, one must first examine how Irans supreme leader concentrates executive, military, and judicial power.

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