List of heads of state of Iran
Heads of State of Iran

List of heads of state of Iran

Section Title: Heads of State of Iran
Table Section Text: None

The Expansive Realm of Iran (1501–1736)[edit] Safavid dynasty[edit]

No.	Name	Birth–Death	Reign start	Reign end	Dynasty

Shah of Persia

1	Shah Ismail I	-	1487–1524	July 1501	23 May 1524	Safavi

.

2	Shah Tahmasp I	-	1514–1576	23 May 1524	14 May 1576	Safavi

Regency: Div Sultan Rumlu: 23 May 1524 – 5 July 1527. Chuha Soltan Takkalu: July 1527 – 1530/31.

3	Shah Ismail II	-	1537–1577	23 May 1576	24 November 1577	Safavi

.

4	Shah Mohammad Khodabanda	-	1532–1595/96	11 February 1578	1 October 1588	Safavi

.

5	Shah Abbas I	Portraits du schah de Perse Abbas Ier (1571-1629).JPG	1571–1629	1 October 1588	19 January 1629	Safavi

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6	Shah Safi	-	1611–1642	28 January 1629	12 May 1642	Safavi

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7	Shah Abbas II	-	1632–1666	12 May 1642	25 September 1666	Safavi

.

8	Shah Suleiman I	-	1648–1694	1 November 1666	29 July 1694	Safavi

.

9	Shah Sultan Husayn	-	1668–1726	6 August 1694	23 October 1722 Surrendered	Safavi

.

Ghilji rebellion[edit]

10	Mahmud Shah	-	1699–1725	23 October 1722	25 April 1725	Hotak

.

11	Ashraf Shah	-	1700–1730	26 April 1725	13 November 1729	Hotak

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Safavid restoration[edit]

12	Shah Tahmasp II	-	1704–1740	10 November 1722	2 September 1732	Safavi

He was crowned on 9 December 1729 after liberation of the Safavid Capital. Reigned at exile: 10 November 1722 – 8 November 1726.

13	Shah Abbas III	1732–1740	2 September 1732	8 March 1736	Safavi

Regency: Nader Khan Afshar: 2 September 1732 – 8 March 1736.

Realm of Iran (1736–1796)[edit] Afsharid dynasty[edit]

14	Nader Shah	-	1688–1747	8 March 1736	20 June 1747	Afshar

.

15	Adil Shah	-	1719–1749	6 July 1747	29 September 1748	Afshar

.

16	Ebrahim Shah	-	1724–1749	29 September 1748	May 1749	Afshar

.

17	Shahrokh Shah	-	1734–1796	May 1749	30 December 1749	Afshar

Proclaimed as Shah at 30 September 1748 and one day later crowned at Mashhad.

Second Safavid restoration[edit]

18	Suleiman II	-	1714–1763	13 January 1750	20 March 1750	Safavi

Proclaimed after deposing and blinding of Shahrokh Shah and crowned at 14 January 1750.

19	Ismail III	-	1733–1773	29 June 1750	1773	Safavi

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.

Afsharid restoration[edit]

(17)	Shahrokh Shah	-	1734–1796	9 May 1755	14 May 1796	Afshar

.

Zand dynasty[edit]

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

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23	Sadeq Khan	-	?–1781	22 August 1779	14 March 1781	Zand

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24	Ali-Morad Khan	-	?–1785	15 March 1781	11 February 1785	Zand

.

–	Bagher Shah	-	?–1786	12 February 1785	17 February 1785 Surrendered	N/A

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.

25	Jafar Khan	-	1766–1794	18 February 1785	23 January 1789	Zand

.

26	Seyd Morad Khan	-	1766–1794	23 January 1789	10 May 1789	Zand

.

27	Lotf Ali Khan	-	1766–1794	10 May 1789	20 March 1794	Zand

.

Shah of Iran

(27)	Lotf Ali Shah	-	1766–1794	21 March 1794	30 October 1794	Zand

.

Sublime State of Persia (1796–1925)[edit]

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 on 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

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30	Mohammad Shah	-	1808–1848	9 November 1834	5 September 1848	Qajar

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31	Naser al-Din Shah	Naser al-Din Shah Qajar.JPG	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 Surrendered	Qajar

.

34	Ahmad Shah	-	1898–1930	16 July 1909	31 October 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.

Imperial State of Iran (1925–1979)[edit]

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 Surrendered	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

President of the Regency Council of Iran

–	Jalaleddin Tehrani	-	1893–1987	16 January 1979	21 January 1979	Independent

He was elected on 14 January. He had resigned from his office as a condition to meet Ayatollah Khomeini on 22 January 1979

–	Mohammad Ali Varasteh	-	1895–1989	21 January 1979	11 February 1979	Independent

Vice President of the Council, Ruled as Acting President after the resignation of Tehrani.

Islamic Republic of Iran (1979–present)[edit]

Leader of the Revolution

37	Ruhollah Khomeini	عکسی از خمینی.JPG	1902–1989	5 February 1979	3 December 1979	Independent

.

Supreme Leader of Iran

(37)	Ruhollah Khomeini	-	1902–1989	3 December 1979	3 June 1989	Independent

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38	Ali Khamenei	-	1939–	4 June 1989	Incumbent	Independent

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Sentence(s)

Khamenei was the Supreme Leader and head of state of Iran.

final_sentence: Khamenei was the Supreme Leader and head of state of Iran.