Abolhassan Banisadr

Abolhassan Banisadr was an Iranian economist and politician who became Iran’s first president in 1980 and was impeached in 1981 amid conflict with the Islamic Republic’s clerical leadership.

Iranian Revolution: The 1978–1979 uprising that overthrew Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic. The revolution brought Banisadr back from exile and opened the political path to his presidency.
President of Iran: The elected head of Iran’s executive branch, operating within a political system overseen by the supreme leader. Banisadr held the office as its first occupant, but it did not place him above clerical institutions.
Iran–Iraq War: The 1980–1988 war between Iran and Iraq, begun with Iraq’s invasion of Iran. Wartime strategy and command became central points of Banisadr’s conflict with his opponents.
Ali Khamenei: An Iranian cleric and politician who served as president from 1981 to 1989 and later became supreme leader. Khamenei succeeded Banisadr as president within the clerical order that had displaced him.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi: Iran’s last shah, who ruled from 1941 until his overthrow in 1979. Banisadr opposed the monarchy whose collapse transformed his political prospects.
Supreme Leader of Iran: The highest political and religious authority in Iran’s constitutional system. Khomeini’s superior position in the system constrained Banisadr’s authority as president.
1981 Iranian presidential election: The election held in Iran in October 1981 to choose a president after Banisadr’s removal. The election replaced Banisadr with a president acceptable to the new political balance.
Mehdi Bazargan: An Iranian politician who led the provisional government formed after the 1979 revolution. Bazargan represented an earlier attempt to govern the revolution through a more moderate, non-clerical cabinet.
Ruhollah Khomeini: The Iranian Shi’a cleric who led the revolution and became the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. Khomeini’s support helped Banisadr win the presidency, before their political relationship broke down.
Islamic Republican Party: An Iranian political party founded in 1979 that became a powerful organization of clerical supporters of the Islamic Republic. Its leaders opposed Banisadr and dominated institutions that challenged his government.

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