History of the parliament in Iran
History of the Parliament in Iran (short, easy version)
- Ancient beginnings: In the Parthian era, Iranians had an assembly called Mehestan made up of elders and nobles to advise on how the government should run.
- Long absence: After the Arab conquest, Iran’s parliament disappeared for about 12 centuries.
- 19th-century reforms: In the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah, assemblies were allowed again. In 1841 a 25-member “House of Expediency” was formed, partly serving ceremonial duties but signaling reform. In 1884, merchants and lawyers established an assembly with a progressive, reformist spirit.
- Constitutional revolution: The Persian Constitutional Revolution led to Iran’s first National Assembly in 1906, decreed by Mozaffar ad-Din Shah. A constitution was drafted that year. Clerics, led by Fazlollah Noori, argued for Islamic law to guide the changes and helped create a panel of scholars to review laws for compatibility with Islam.
- 1906–1989: The National Consultative Assembly operated from 1906 until 1989. In 1989, during the drafting of Iran’s new constitution after the Islamic Revolution, its name was changed from the National Assembly to the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
- 1979 Revolution and after: The Islamic Revolution dissolved the old National Assembly and Senate. A Council of the Islamic Revolution held legislative powers until the new parliament was formed.
- Today: The parliament is called the Islamic Consultative Assembly and has 290 members.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:18 (CET).