List of heads of state of Iran

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This article lists the heads of state of Iran since the establishment of the modern Iranian nation-state in 1501 AD.

Heads of State of Iran

The Expansive Realm of Iran (1501–1736)

Safavid dynasty

No. Name Portrait Birth–Death Reign start Reign end Dynasty
Shah of Persia
1 Shah Ismail I 1487–1524 July 1501 23 May 1524 Safavid
.
2 Shah Tahmasp I 1514–1576 23 May 1524 14 May 1576 Safavid
Regency:
  • Div Sultan Rumlu: 23 May 1524 – 5 July 1527.
  • Chuha Soltan Takkalu: July 1527 – 1530/31.
  • Husayn Khan Shamlu: 1530/31 – 1533.
3 Shah Ismail II 1537–1577 23 May 1576 24 November 1577 Safavid
.
4 Shah Mohammad Khodabanda 1532–1595/96 11 February 1578 1 October 1588 Safavid
.
5 Shah Abbas I 1571–1629 1 October 1588 19 January 1629 Safavid
.
6 Shah Safi 1611–1642 28 January 1629 12 May 1642 Safavid
.
7 Shah Abbas II 1632–1666 12 May 1642 25 September 1666 Safavid
.
8 Shah Suleiman I 1648–1694 1 November 1666 29 July 1694 Safavid
.
9 Shah Sultan Husayn 1668–1726 6 August 1694 23 October 1722   Safavid
.

Ghilji rebellion

10 Mahmud Shah 1699–1725 23 October 1722 25 April 1725 Hotak
.
11 Ashraf Shah 1700–1730 26 April 1725 13 November 1729 Hotak
.

Safavid restoration

12 Shah Tahmasp II 1704–1740 10 November 1722 2 September 1732 Safavid
He was crowned on 9 December 1729 after liberation of the Safavid Capital.
Reigned at exile:
  • 10 November 1722 – 8 November 1726.
  • July 1728 – 9 December 1729.
13 Shah Abbas III 1732–1740 2 September 1732 8 March 1736 Safavid
Regency:
  • Nader Khan Afshar: 2 September 1732 – 8 March 1736.

Realm of Iran (1736–1796)

Afsharid dynasty

14 Nader Shah 1688–1747 8 March 1736 20 June 1747 Afsharid
.
15 Adil Shah 1719–1749 6 July 1747 29 September 1748 Afsharid
.
16 Ebrahim Shah 1724–1749 29 September 1748 May 1749 Afsharid
.
17 Shahrokh Shah 1734–1796 May 1749 30 December 1749 Afsharid
Proclaimed as Shah at 30 September 1748 and one day later crowned at Mashhad.

Second Safavid restoration

18 Suleiman II 1714–1763 13 January 1750 20 March 1750 Safavid
Proclaimed after deposing and blinding of Shahrokh Shah and crowned at 14 January 1750.
19 Ismail III 1733–1773 29 June 1750 1773 Safavid
He was a Puppet ruler who raised to the throne by Ali Mardan Khan Bakhtiari and Karim Khan Zand as a front to legitimize their rule.
Regency:
  • Karim Khan Zand: early 1751 – 1773

Afsharid restoration

(17) Shahrokh Shah 1734–1796 9 May 1755 14 May 1796 Afsharid
.

Zand dynasty

Wakil-al Raʿāyā
20 Karim Khan 1705–1779 1773 1 March 1779 Zand
.
21 Abol-Fath Khan 1755–1787 6 March 1779 May/June 1779 Zand
He and his younger brother Mohammad Ali Khan were Co-rulers.
22 Mohammad Ali Khan 1760–1779 6 March 1779 19 June 1779 Zand
He and his elder brother Abol-Fath Khan were Co-rulers until May/June 1779.
(21) Abol-Fath Khan 1755–1787 19 June 1779 22 August 1779 Zand
.
23 Sadeq Khan ?–1781 22 August 1779 14 March 1781 Zand
.
24 Ali-Morad Khan c. 1720–1785 15 March 1781 11 February 1785 Zand
.
– Bagher Shah ?–1786 12 February 1785 17 February 1785   —
After the death of Ali-Morad Khan, Bagher Khan Khorasgani Governor of Isfahan proclaimed himself as Shah and mentioned himself in the Khutbah and on coins. He was defeated from the corps of Jafar Khan.
25 Jafar Khan ?–1789 18 February 1785 23 January 1789 Zand
.
26 Seyd Morad Khan ?–1789 23 January 1789 10 May 1789 Zand
.
27 Lotf Ali Khan c. 1769–1794 10 May 1789 20 March 1794 Zand
.
Shah of Iran
(27) Lotf Ali Shah c. 1769–1794 21 March 1794 30 October 1794 Zand
.

Sublime State of Persia (1796–1925)

28 Agha Mohammad Shah 1742–1797 14 May 1796 17 June 1797 Qajar
Agha Mohammad decided to move his capital to the small town of Tehran on 1786. He was formally crowned as Shah during spring 1796 at the Mugan plain, on his return after the conquest of Tbilisi.
29 Fath-Ali Shah 1772–1834 17 June 1797 23 October 1834 Qajar
.
30 Mohammad Shah 1808–1848 9 November 1834 5 September 1848 Qajar
.
31 Naser al-Din Shah 1831–1896 13 September 1848 1 May 1896 Qajar
Queen-mother Mahd-e Olia: 5 September 1848 – 1 October 1848.
32 Mozaffar ad-Din Shah 1853–1907 2 May 1896 8 January 1907 Qajar
.
33 Mohammad Ali Shah 1872–1925 8 January 1907 16 July 1909   Qajar
.
34 Ahmad Shah 1898–1930 16 July 1909 15 December 1925 Qajar
Reigned in exile: from 2 December 1923
Regency:
  • Ali Reza Azod al-Molk: 18 July 1909 – 23 September 1910.
  • Abolqasem Naser ol-Molk: 24 September 1910 – 21 July 1914.
  • Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza: 24 March 1924 – 31 October 1925.

Imperial State of Iran (1925–1979)

No. Name Birth–Death Took office Left office Political Affiliation
Provisional Head of State
35 Reza Khan 1878–1944 31 October 1925 15 December 1925 Military
.
No. Name Birth–Death Took office Left office Dynasty
Shah of Iran
(35) Reza Shah 1878–1944 15 December 1925 16 September 1941   Pahlavi
.
36 Mohammad Reza Shah 1919–1980 16 September 1941 11 February 1979 Pahlavi
Reigned in exile:
  • 16–22 August 1953 (Baghdad; from 18 August at Rome)
  • from 16 January 1979 (Egypt; from 22 January at Morocco).
No. Name Birth–Death Took office Left office Political Affiliation

Islamic Republic of Iran (1979–present)

Leader of the Revolution
37 Ruhollah Khomeini 1900-1989 5 February 1979 3 December 1979 Independent
.
Supreme Leader of Iran
(37) Ruhollah Khomeini 1900-1989 3 December 1979 3 June 1989 Independent
.
38 Ali Khamenei 1939–present 4 June 1989 Incumbent Independent
.

Timeline

See also

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