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4 institutions in IR.
Country
88-member clerical body elected by popular vote (from candidates vetted by the Guardian Council) responsible for appointing, supervising, and if necessary removing the Supreme Leader. In practice the Assembly has never exercised its supervisory power against a sitting Supreme Leader. Following Khamenei's death in February 2026, the Assembly convened to select Mojtaba Khamenei as the third Supreme Leader — a selection that consolidated dynastic succession and drew significant criticism.
Twelve-member body that vets all legislation and electoral candidates in Iran, comprising six Islamic jurists appointed by the Supreme Leader and six jurists elected by parliament from candidates nominated by the judiciary. The Guardian Council has systematically disqualified reformist and moderate candidates from elections, concentrating political power in conservative factions aligned with the Supreme Leader. Its vetting power makes it one of the most consequential unelected bodies in Iran's constitutional structure.
legislative body of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran's ideological military force, established in 1979 to protect the Islamic revolution, parallel to and often more powerful than the regular armed forces. The IRGC commands the Quds Force (Iran's extraterritorial operations arm), controls significant economic enterprises, and plays a major role in domestic politics. It directly oversees Iran's ballistic missile program and its network of regional proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. The IRGC is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
