The Reformists () are a political faction in Iran. Iran's "reform era" is sometimes said to have lasted from 1997 to 2005—the length of President
Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...
's two terms in office. The Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front is the main umbrella organization and coalition within the movement; however, there are reformist groups not aligned with the council, such as the Reformists Front.
Masoud Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian (, ; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian politician and physician who has been serving as the ninth president of Iran since 28 July 2024.
Pezeshkian served as governor of Piranshahr and Naghadeh counties and was elected to ...
, a reformist, was elected president following the
2024 Iranian presidential election
Early presidential elections in Iran were held on 28 June and 5 July 2024 following 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, the death of incumbent president Ebrahim Raisi in a 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, helicopter crash on 19 May.
Four candidates ...
, and was subsequently confirmed by Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...
on 28 July.
Background
Organizations
The 2nd of Khordad Movement usually refers not only to the coalition of 18 groups and political parties of the reforms front but to anyone else who was a supporter of the 1997 reform programs of Khatami.
The reforms front consists of several political parties, some of the most famous including the following:
*
Islamic Iran Participation Front
The Islamic Iran Participation Front (; ''Jebheye Mosharekate Iran-e Eslaami'') was a reformist political party in Iran. It was sometimes described as the most dominant member within the 2nd of Khordad Front.
The party took 189 of the 290 seats ...
: key figures are
Mohammad Reza Khatami
Mohammad-Reza Khatami (, born 1958) is an Iranian reformist politician and nephrologist.
Early life and education
Khatami was born in 1958 in Ardakan, Iran. He is the youngest brother of former president Mohammad Khatami. Khatami is educated in ...
,
Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian (, born 1954) is an Iranian reformist political strategist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and former intelligence officer. He was a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to the president Mohammad Khatami. On 12 March ...
Abbas Abdi
Abbas Abdi (; ; born 1 October 1956) is an Iranian reformist. He is also a journalist, self-taught sociologist, and social activist.
Biography
Abdi was born in 1956. He studied polymer engineering at Tehran Polytechnic. He worked briefly in ...
Mohsen Aminzadeh
Mohsen Aminzadeh (, born 1957) is an Iranian reformist politician and former diplomat. Aminzadeh was a founding member of the largest reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front. He served as the Deputy Foreign Minister during the 1997- ...
, and Mostafa Tajzadeh. It has been described as the dominant member within the 2nd of Khordad Front, the "main reformist party", and the party most closely associated with President Khatami.
*
Association of Combatant Clerics
The Association of Combatant Clerics () is an Iranian reformist Clericalism in Iran, clerical political party. It is regarded as a Left-wing politics, left-wing party within the Iranian political spectrum.
History
The Association of Combatant Cl ...
(''Majma'e Rowhaniyoon-e Mobarez''): key figures are
Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...
,
Hadi Khamenei
Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Hadi Khamenei (; born 26 January 1948) is an Iranian reformist politician, mujtahid and linguist.(14 February 1999Reformist Kin of Iran Leader is Attacked by Militants''The New York Times'' He is a key member of the reform ...
,
Majid Ansari
Majid Ansari (; born in 1954 in Khanuk, Kerman Province) is an Iranian politician and cleric. He is currently member of the Expediency Discernment Council and Vice President for Legal Affairs since 2024 for second term.
He was formerly Vice Pres ...
, Mohammad Tavassoli, and
Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha
Sayyid Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha (Persian: سید محمد موسوی خوئینیها) (born 1945) is an Iranian cleric and secretary general of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics. He was the founder of the now defunct '' Salam' ...
. It has been described as the "main 'reformist' clerical body."
*
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization (MIRO; ) is a reformist political organization in Iran. It is a small yet influential organization, and participates in political activities similar to a political party. Historian Ervand Ab ...
(''Sāzmān-e Mojāhedin-e Enqelāb-e Eslāmi-e Irān''): key figures are
Behzad Nabavi
Behzad Nabavi () (born 1941) is an Iranian reformist politician. He served as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Iran and was one of the founders of the Reformist party Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization. Before his career as a de ...
,
Mohsen Armin
Mohsen Armin () is an Iranian politician. He was a representative for Tehran and vice speaker of the Majlis
(, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning 'sitting room', used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups ...
, Mohammad Salevati, and Feyzollah Arabsorkhi. The mojahedin have been called a "key political group."
Ideas
Some Iranian intellectuals were involved in establishing a foundation for the movement. Perhaps the most influential figure was
Abdolkarim Soroush
Abdolkarim Soroush ( ), born Hossein Haj Faraj Dabbagh (born 16 December 1945; ), is an Iranian Islamic and Rumi scholar, and a former professor of philosophy at the University of Tehran. He is among the most influential figures in the religio ...
. For many years, he was the only voice publicly criticizing the regime's policies. His regular lectures at Tehran University used to enjoy the attendance of many of the Iranian students who later generated the 2nd of Khordad movement. Many famous figures of the movement belong to the Soroush circle. However, at the rise of 2nd of Khordad movement,
Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian (, born 1954) is an Iranian reformist political strategist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and former intelligence officer. He was a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to the president Mohammad Khatami. On 12 March ...
acted as the main theorist behind the movement and the main strategist in
Khatami
Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...
's camp.
The movement has been described as changing the key terms in public discourse: ''emperialism'' (
imperialism
Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of Power (international relations), power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultura ...
), ''mostazafen'' (
poor
Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse
), ''jehad'' (
jihad
''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...
), ''mojahed'' (
mujahideen
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' (), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' (), an Arabic term that broadly refers to people who engage in ''jihad'' (), interpreted in a jurisprudence of Islam as the fight on behalf of God, religion or the commun ...
Gharbzadegi
''Gharbzadegi'' () or Occidentosis is a Persian-origin term translated among other ways as 'Westernized', 'West-struck-ness', 'Westoxification'. The concept describes an unquestioned imitation by Eastern cultures of Western appearance, behavior ...
'' (Western intoxication), to some modern terms and concepts like: ''demokrasi'' (
democracy
Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
citizenship
Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state.
Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationalit ...
), etc.Abrahamian, ''History of Modern Iran'', (2008), p.186
Supporters
The core of the reform movement is said to be made up of Islamic leftists disqualified from running for office as they were purged and generally disempowered by Islamic conservatives following the death of Imam Khomeini in 1989. Islamic leftists turned reformists include
Abdolkarim Soroush
Abdolkarim Soroush ( ), born Hossein Haj Faraj Dabbagh (born 16 December 1945; ), is an Iranian Islamic and Rumi scholar, and a former professor of philosophy at the University of Tehran. He is among the most influential figures in the religio ...
,
Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian (, born 1954) is an Iranian reformist political strategist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and former intelligence officer. He was a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to the president Mohammad Khatami. On 12 March ...
,
Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji ( , born 31 January 1960 in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, writer and a former member of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journ ...
Ebrahim Asgharzadeh
Ebrahim Asgharzadeh () is an Iranian political activist and politician. He served as a member of the 3rd Majlis (Iran's legislature) from 1988–1992 and as a member of the first City Council of Tehran from 1999–2003. His career in politics s ...
,
Mohsen Mirdamadi
Mohsen Mirdamadi (, born 1955 in Najafabad, Isfahan) is an Iranian academic and politician. He is the Deputy Secretary General of "Ettehad-e Mellat", the largest pro-reform political party in Iran. After the 2009 Iranian Presidential Elections, ...
,
Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh (, ; born 2 March 1942) is an Iranian politician, artist, architect and opposition figure who served as the 45th and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a reformist candidate for the 2009 Iranian p ...
, and the Anjoman-e-Eslami (Islamic Association) and Office for Strengthening Unity student groups.
Many institutions support the movement of reformation such as organizations like Organization of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution (OMIR) and the Majma’a Rohaneeyoon Mobarez or the Forum of the Militant Clergy, or Office for Fostering Unity and Freedom Movement of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. There were also many media outlets in support like the Iran-e-farda and kian magazinez.
Khatami's support is said to have cut across regions and class lines with even some members of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khom ...
, Qom seminarians and
Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
members voting for him. The core of his electoral support, however, came from the modern middle class, college students, women, and urban workers. For example, by 1995, about half of Iran's 60.5 million people were too young to be alive at the time of the Islamic Revolution.
Major events
1997 presidential election
The movement began with the May 23, 1997, surprise victory of
Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...
, "a little known cleric", to the presidency on with almost 70% of the vote.
Khatami is regarded as Iran's first
reformist
Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution.
Within the socialist movement, ref ...
president, since the focus of his campaign was on the
rule of law
The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...
,
democracy
Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process.
Assassination attempt on Saeed Hajjarian
Very soon after the rise of the 2nd of Khordad movement, there was an attempted
assassination
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
of
Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian (, born 1954) is an Iranian reformist political strategist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and former intelligence officer. He was a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to the president Mohammad Khatami. On 12 March ...
, the main strategist of the reformist camp. In March 2000, he was shot in the face on the doorstep of
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
's city council by a gunman who fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice. The bullet entered through his left cheek and lodged in his neck. He was not killed but was "badly paralyzed" for some time. During his coma, groups of young Iranians kept a vigil outside Sina hospital, where he was being treated. Due to this injury, Hajjarian now uses a walking frame, and his voice is distorted.
His convicted assailant Saeed Asgar, a young man who was reported to be a member of the
Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
militia, served only a small part of his 15-year jail sentence.
Ganji and ''Red Eminence and Grey Eminences''
''Red Eminence and
Grey Eminence
''Grey Eminence: A Study in Religion and Politics'' is a book by Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley ( ; 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction ...
s'' ( ''"Alijenabe Sorkhpoosh, Alijenabane Khakestari"'') is the name of a series of
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
articles and a book written by
Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji ( , born 31 January 1960 in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, writer and a former member of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journ ...
under the responsibility of Saeed Hajjarian, in which he criticized former president
Akbar Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic, Rafsanjani was the ...
as the "Red Eminence" and the intelligence officers in his government, such as
Ali Fallahian
Ali Fallahian ( , born 1949)FALLAHIAN, ALI (1949– ), in ''The A to Z of Middle Eastern Intelligence'', Ephraim Kahana and Muhammad Suwaed, pp. 85-86, 2009 is an Iranian cleric, judge and politician. He was Iran's second Minister of Intelligen ...
, as the "Grey Eminences". His subsequent prosecution and conviction for "anti-Islamic activities" for his role in the publication of the book and articles cost Akbar Ganji six years of imprisonment.
1999 local elections
Reformist candidates did remarkably well in the 1999 local elections and received 75% of the vote.Abrahamian, Ervand, ''History of Modern Iran'', Columbia University Press, 2008, p.188
18th of Tir crisis (1999)
The 18th of Tir (July 9) crisis, refers to a demonstration in Tehran University dormitory in reaction to closing Salam newspaper by the government. Demonstrations continued for a few days in most cities in Iran and in more than ninety-five countries worldwide. The demonstration ended in violence and the death of a young Iranian citizen along with many casualties. At the time, it was Iran's biggest antigovernment demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
After attacking of the students of Tehran University by hardline vigilante group, Khatami delivered a speech three months later while defending of his reform programme and at the same time he insisted on the foundations of his government. He referred to the reformation of system from within with holding two elements of Islamic and republic.
18th of Tir national day of protest (2003)
In 2003, Iran's leading pro-democracy student group, the Daftar-e Tahkim-e-Vahdat called for a national day of protest on the 18th of Tir to commemorate the original 1999 protest. At least one observer believes it was the failure of this protest that "delivered a fatal blow to the reform movement."
According to journalist
Afshin Molavi
Afshin Molavi () is an Iranian-American author and co-director of Emerge 85 Lab, a joint research initiative between the Foreign Policy Institute (SAIS), Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute and UAE-based Delma Institute. He is also a senior r ...
, many Iranians hoped the day would lead to an uprising that would "break the back" of the hardliners, but instead the Islamic Republic "employed violence, intimidation, and sophisticated carrot-and-stick approach to suck the wind out of the demonstrations." In addition to a show of force and numerous checkpoints, the state used sophisticated jamming technology to black out satellite all the television feed and allowed the holding of (rare) outdoor pop concerts to draw young people away from the demonstrations. Dartar-e Tahkim-e-Vahdat also hurt its cause by calling for foreigners, the UN,- to assist it against the government.
6th Parliament (2000)
In the Iranian parliamentary elections, 2000 to elect the 6th parliament, reformist enjoyed a majority (69.25%), or 26.8 million, of the 38.7 million voters who cast ballots in the February 18, 2000 first round. Ultimately reformists won 195 of the 290 Majlis seats in that election.
Council of Guardians
The Guardian Council (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, ) is an appointed and constitutionally mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The constitution ...
ended Iranian voters' continued support for reformists by banning about 2500 candidates, nearly half of the total, including 80 sitting Parliament deputies. More than 100 MPs resigned in protest and critics complained the move "shattered any pretense of Iranian democracy".
Mostafa Moin
Mostafa Moeen (; born 1 April 1951 in Najafabad, Isfahan) is an Iranian politician, professor of pediatrics, and a human rights activist who is currently founder and president of the Front for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran. He was a preside ...
and
Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi (, born 26 September 1937) is an Iranian Shia cleric and reformist politician leading the National Trust Party. Following 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Karroubi was put under house arrest in February 2011. As of 2021, he ...
were the main candidates of the 2nd of Khordad movement. However, neither made it to the second round of the election (the final runoff): Moin came in fifth and Karroubi third in the first round. As a result, many supporters of the reform movement lost hope and did not participate in the election.
Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh (, ; born 2 March 1942) is an Iranian politician, artist, architect and opposition figure who served as the 45th and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a reformist candidate for the 2009 Iranian p ...
and
Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi (, born 26 September 1937) is an Iranian Shia cleric and reformist politician leading the National Trust Party. Following 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Karroubi was put under house arrest in February 2011. As of 2021, he ...
. Mousavi supporters disbelieved the election results and initiated a series of protests that lasted several days. After many days of protesting against the election results, the protests eventually turned violent as the
Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
(loyal militia to the Islamic Republic) started attacking the protesters and vice versa. Some protesters turned their anger to the government itself and tried to overthrow the Islamic Republic. The protests, in general, lasted up to several months.
2024 Iranian Presidential Election
Masoud Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian (, ; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian politician and physician who has been serving as the ninth president of Iran since 28 July 2024.
Pezeshkian served as governor of Piranshahr and Naghadeh counties and was elected to ...
was elected in a special election after the death of Iranian President
Ebrahim Raisi
Ebrahim Raisolsadati (14 December 1960 – 19 May 2024), better known as Ebrahim Raisi, was an Iranian politician who served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, his death in a helicopter crash in 202 ...
, who died in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024. He secured nearly 16.4 million of the more than 30 million votes cast, beating his main rival
Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili (; born 6 September 1965) is an Iranian politician and diplomat, who was secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2007 to 2013. He is currently a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, and is the former nucl ...
who received approximately 13.5 million in a run-off election, according to the official count. The election was generally seen as an upset victory for the Reformists' faction with many political observers expecting low voter turnout. Pezeshkian is described as a centrist, in stark contrast to his predecessor, Raisi, who was described as a "hard-liner." He has promised several economic, political, and cultural reforms; however, several obstacles remain in the way, primarily Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains decision authority on all major state issues.
Obstacles to the Movement
The Reformists' Party often struggles with realizing its agenda as described by ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'' magazine:
Dozens of newspapers opened during the Khatami period, only for many to be shut down on one pretext or another by the judiciary. Clerics who took advantage of the new atmosphere to question the doctrine of
velayat-e faqih
The Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (, also ''Velayat-e Faghih''; ) is a concept in Twelver Shia Islamic law which holds that until the reappearance of the "infallible Imam" (sometime before Judgement Day), the religious and social affairs ...
slamic governmentwere imprisoned or otherwise cowed. Even as political debate blossomed, Iran's security services cracked down on religious and ethnic minorities. A number of the government's critics fell victim to
murders
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...
traced later to the interior ministry. In 1999 police reacted to a
peaceful demonstration
Peaceful indicates a state of, or inclination for, peace.
Peaceful may also refer to:
* ''Peaceful'' (film), a 2021 French drama
* Peaceful (horse)
Peaceful (foaled 22 January 2017) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed some promise ...
for freer speech by invading Tehran University, beating and arresting hundreds of students and killing at least one. In the majlis (parliament) much of the president's reforming legislation was vetoed by the
Council of Guardians
The Guardian Council (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, ) is an appointed and constitutionally mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The constitution ...
, a committee of clerics appointed by the
supreme leader
A supreme leader or supreme ruler typically refers to powerful figures with an unchallenged authority, such as autocrats, dictators to spiritual and revolutionary leaders. Historic examples are Adolf Hitler () of Nazi Germany, Francisco ...
to ensure that laws conform with Islamic precepts.
Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian (, born 1954) is an Iranian reformist political strategist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and former intelligence officer. He was a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to the president Mohammad Khatami. On 12 March ...
, the main theorist behind the movement, declared in 2003 that "the reform movement is dead. Long live the reform movement".
The victory of conservatives in the 2005 presidential election and the 2004 Majlis election can be explained "not so much" by an expansion of "their limited core base as by
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
dividing of the reformers and
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
discouraging them from voting," according to political historian
Ervand Abrahamian
Ervand Abrahamian (; ; born 1940) is an Iranian-American historian of the Middle East. He is Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Early life
Ervand Vahan Abrahamian wa ...
:
The conservatives won in part because they retained their 25% base; in part because they recruited war veterans to run as their candidates; in part because they wooed independents on the issue of national security; but in most part because large numbers of women, college students, and other members of the salaried middle class stayed home. Turnout in the Majles elections fell below 51% - one of the worst since the revolution. In Tehran, it fell to 28%.
Limitations
The reform movement has been lamented as "too divided to establish its own political authority, too naïve about the tenacity of the authoritarian elite around
Khamenei
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure as Supreme Leader ...
, and too inflexible to circumvent the ban on political parties in Iran by creating and sustaining alternative forms of mobilisation." In addition, leaders of the reform movement lacked a clear and coherent strategy of establishing durable and extensive linkages with the public.
Ironically, they became a victim of their electoral successes. The reform movement's "control of both the presidency and parliament from 2000 to 2004 made it look inept and a part of the corrupt system in the eyes of many Iranians."
Secularism
BBC journalist Jonathan Beale reports that since secularism is banned in Iran, it is an ideology that is mostly followed by political organizations among the
Iranian diaspora
The Iranian diaspora (collectively known as Iranian Expatriate, expats or expatriates) is the global population of Demographics of Iran, Iranian citizens or people of Iranian descent living outside Iran.
In 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affair ...
or by many of the anti-sharia political parties in exile that are secular. These parties promote regime change, most often with foreign aid and military intervention (particularity from the United States). He quotes a former leader of the
Iranian Revolutionary Guards
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979 i ...
,
Mohsen Sazegara
Mohsen Sazegara (; born 5 January 1955) is an Iranian journalist and pro-democracy political activist. He was the founder of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. He held several offices in the government of ...
(also one of its founders), as saying, "Don't interfere. Leave these affairs to the Iranian people". Sazegara believes the US should call for democracy and freedom, and let Iranian opposition groups inside Iran, which are Reformists, take the lead, instead of attempting to create an opposition in exile.
Referendum movement
The Referendum movement calls in effect for a rerun of the 1979 referendum that established the Islamic Republic in Iran: "a 'yes or no' vote on whether today's Iranians still want the authoritarian Islamic Republic that another generation's revolution brought them." It is said to have been born out of "the ashes of the failures of Khatami's Islamic democracy movement" and reflected in one-word
graffiti
Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
on walls in Tehran saying "no". It has been criticized as calling for complete system change without "building the political and organisational network to back it up" and inviting a brutal crackdown, with "no means on the ground to resist it".
Election results
President
Presidential
Parliament
Assembly of Experts
Local councils
Coalition organizations
Reformists' Supreme Council for Policymaking
On 8 November 2015, the establishment of the council was announced. It oversees the Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front, which its rotating head serves as the deputy head of the council for policymaking.
Moderation and Development Party
Moderation and Development Party () is a political party in Iran. It is a pragmatic-centrist political party which held its first congress in 2002.
Platform
The party is part of the faction called "modernist right", "moderate reformists" and "tec ...
joined the council in April 2017. Some members of the council include:
*
Mohammad-Reza Aref
Mohammad Reza Aref (, born 19 December 1951) is an Iranian engineer, academic and reformist politician who is the eighth and current first vice president of Iran since 2024, under President Masoud Pezeshkian. He is also currently member of the E ...
Mahmoud Sadeghi
Mahmoud Sadeghi () is an Iranian lawyer, jurist, academic and reformist politician who was a member of the Parliament of Iran representing Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr electoral district from May 2016 to May 2020.
Early life
Sadeqi w ...
Ali Soufi
Ali Soufi () is an Iranian Iranian Reformists, reformist politician. He held various offices as governors and ministers for three decades during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
He is a member of the 'Reformists' Supreme Council for Policymaking'.
...
Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front
Reformists Front
Parliamentary leaders
Parties
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Assembly of the Forces of Imam's Line
Assembly of the Forces of the Imam's Line or Association of Followers of the Imam's Line () is an Iranian reformist political group. The party is a member of Council for coordinating the Reforms Front and Hadi Khamenei is its general secretary. ...
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Association of Combatant Clerics
The Association of Combatant Clerics () is an Iranian reformist Clericalism in Iran, clerical political party. It is regarded as a Left-wing politics, left-wing party within the Iranian political spectrum.
History
The Association of Combatant Cl ...
Executives of Construction Party
The Executives of Construction of Iran Party () is a reformist political party in Iran, founded by 16 members of the cabinet of the then President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in 1996. The party is a member of Council for Coordinating the Reforms F ...
NEDA Party
Nedaye Iranian Party (), also known by the acronym NEDA (from (), is a reformist and social democratic political party in Iran. The party held its first congress in 2015.
It was the first party that emerged after the reformist crackdown during 2 ...
Union of Islamic Iran People Party
Islamic Iran Nation's Union Party or Nation's Union Party (, ''Hezb-e Ettehad-e Mellat-e Iran-e Eslami'') is an Iranian reformist political party founded in 2015.
Establishment
In January 2015, it was confirmed by the Ministry of Interior that i ...
Islamic Assembly of Ladies
Islamic Assembly of Ladies (, ''Mijim'-e 'Islâmi-ye Banuan'') is an Iranian reformist all-female political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for ...
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Islamic Iran Participation Front
The Islamic Iran Participation Front (; ''Jebheye Mosharekate Iran-e Eslaami'') was a reformist political party in Iran. It was sometimes described as the most dominant member within the 2nd of Khordad Front.
The party took 189 of the 290 seats ...
Islamic Association of Iranian Medical Society
Islamic Association of Iranian Medical Society () is an Iranian reformist political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party ...
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization (MIRO; ) is a reformist political organization in Iran. It is a small yet influential organization, and participates in political activities similar to a political party. Historian Ervand Ab ...
Etemaad
''Etemad'' or ''Etemaad'' () is a Persian-language reformist newspaper based in Iran that is published in Tehran. It is managed by Elias Hazrati, who was representative from Rasht and Tehran in the Parliament of Iran.
Overview
The first edi ...
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Shargh
''Shargh'' (; also as ''Sharq'') is one of the most popular Reformist daily newspapers in Iran.
The owner iMehdi Rahmanian the editor-in-chief of the newspaper iAli Dehghanand the editor-in-chief of online iSina Rahimpour
History and profil ...
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Asr-e Maa
''Asr-e Maa'' () is a newspaper published in Iran.
History and profile
''Asr-e Maa'' was established by the Organization of the Islamic Revolution Mojahedin (OIRM), a reformist political organization, in 1991 as a biweekly publication. Later i ...
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Asrar
''Asrar'' () is a Persian-language reformist daily newspaper published in Tehran, Iran.
Profile
''Asrar'' has a reformist political leaning.Ayande-ye No''
*'' Bahar''
*'' Ebtekar''
*'' Ham-Mihan''
*'' Hayat-e-No''
*'' Hambastegi''
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Khordad
Khordad (, ) is the third month of the Solar Hijri calendar. Khordad has thirty-one days. It begins in May and ends in June by the Gregorian calendar. Khordad is the third month of the spring season ( Bahar). It is followed by Tir. The Afghan P ...
Zan
Zan or ZAN, may refer to:
Geography
* Zhan, Kurdistan, Iran, also known as Zān
* Zhan, Lorestan, Iran, also known as Žān
* Zan, Tehran, a village in Tehran Province, Iran
* Zan, a town in Lebanon, also known as Zane
Ethnicity and language
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Mosharekat
''Mosharekat'' (; meaning ''Participation'') was a former pro-reform newspaper of the Islamic Iran Participation Front which was one of 13 reformist newspapers banned in Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also k ...
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See also
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Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
Chain murders of Iran
The chain murders of Iran () were a series of 1988–98 murders and disappearances of certain Iranian dissident intellectuals who had been critical of the Islamic Republic system. The murders and disappearances were carried out by Iranian gover ...
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Liberalism in Iran
Liberalism in Iran or Iranian liberalism is a political ideology that traces its beginnings to the 20th century.
Iranian Liberalism during 1900–1979 Society for the Progress of Iran
During the Persian Constitutional Revolution, constituti ...
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Iranian Economic Reform Plan
Iran has a mixed, centrally planned economy with a large public sector."A survey of Iran: Stunted and distorted". ''The Economist'' (2003) It consists of hydrocarbon, agricultural and service sectors, in addition to manufacturing and financial ...