Political parties in Iran
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| Government of Islamic Republic of Iran |
This article lists the main political parties in Iran.
After the banning of the last two Opposition parties in 1983, parties and candidates usually have operated in loose alignments within two main coalitions, the conservative (osool-garayan) and the reformist (eslah-talaban) both of them coming from the former single-party Islamic Republic Party. Since 2009, only the conservatives have been allowed to participate and prominent reformist parties have been banned and their members jailed.
Main parties authorized inside Iran
Only Islamist parties can legally operate inside Iran.
- Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (ruling) led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Conservative)
- Islamic Coalition Party led by Habibollah Asgaroladi (Conservative)
- Islamic Society of Engineers led by Mohammad Reza Bahonar (Conservative)
- Executives of Construction Party led by Gholamhossein Karbaschi (Centrist-Reformist)
Main parties banned but tolerated inside Iran
These parties are banned as they are accused to be spies, but their members have not been killed. They are allowed to stand in elections although with heavy restrictions.
- Islamic Iran Participation Front led by Mohsen Mirdamadi (main Reformist party)
- National Trust Party led by Mehdi Karrubi (Reformist)
- Freedom Movement Party led by Ebrahim Yazdi (Reformist)
- National Front Party led by Adib Boroumand (Nationalist; mostly based outside Iran but the central body is in Tehran)
- Marze Por Gohar Party led by Roozbeh Farahanipour
- Pan-Iranist Party led by Zahra Saffarpour (Nationalist)
Main parties banned and persecuted in Iran (operating covertly inside Iran)
These parties are banned as they are accused to be spies and work against Islam, and their members have been killed in large numbers.
- Constitutionalist Party of Iran (Liberal-Democrat) led by Foad Pashaie (Liberal Democrats; close to the Prince Reza Pahlavi)
- Organization of Iranian People's Fedaian (Majority) led by Behrouz Khaliq (Social Democrats)
- People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran led by Maryam Rajavi (Religious Left)
