Terms : Hide Images
| 5810505485 | Assembly of Religious Experts | 86 man assembly of clerics elected directly by the people; broad constitutional interpretation responsibility; selects the Supreme Leader; has the right to dismiss Supreme Leader; must have a seminary degree | 0 | |
| 5810505486 | Ayatollah | Supreme leader of Iran; following the revolution, Khomeini became the country's Supreme Leader, a position created in the constitution as the highest ranking political and religious authority of the nation. | 1 | |
| 5810505488 | Faqih | an expert in Islamic Law; leading Islamic jurist to interpret the meaning of religious documents and sharia; another form of jurist's guardianship | 2 | |
| 5810505489 | Farsi | the language and people group of Iran, also often called Persian | 3 | |
| 5810505490 | Fundamentalism | Religious beliefs of a literal nature that often lead to right-wing political views. | 4 | |
| 5810505491 | Guardian Council | This is the most powerful theological body in Iran. It consists of 12 members 6 clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader and 6 judges appointed by the Majils. The importance of them is they have to approve all candidates and all legislation. | 5 | |
| 5810505494 | Imam | Prayer leaders in mosques | 6 | |
| 5810505495 | Jihad | Literally "struggle"; although often used to mean armed struggle against unbelievers, most commonly means spiritual struggle for self-improvement. | 7 | |
| 5810505496 | Jurist's guardianship | Developed by Ayatollah Khomeini, supports the notion that senior clerics have the best capacity to rule in a Muslim society; Iranian clergy should rule on the grounds that they are the divinely appointed guardians of both the law and the people | 8 | |
| 5810505497 | Majles | Arabic term for "assembly"; used in Iran to describe the parliament. | 9 | |
| 5810505498 | Mosque | Muslim place of worship, equivalent to a church, temple, or synagogue. |  | 10 |
| 5810505499 | OPEC | Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; Founded in 1960 by Iran, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia, it now includes most oil-exporting states with the notable exceptions of Mexico and former members of the Soviet Union. It tries to regulate prices by regulating production. | 11 | |
| 5810505500 | Pahlavis | Leaders of the dynasty of the shahs, favored westernization | 12 | |
| 5810505502 | People of the Book | The Muslim term for recognized religious minorities, such as Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. | 13 | |
| 5810505503 | Qanun | Regular laws passed by the government. Are second to Shariah law | 14 | |
| 5810505504 | Qur'an | Muslim holy book, believed to be the word of God, given to prophet Muhammad |  | 15 |
| 5810505505 | Rentier state | A country that obtains much of its revenue from the export of oil or other natural resources. | 16 | |
| 5810505506 | Shari'a | Islamic law derived mostly from the Qur'an and the examples set by the Prophet Muhammad. | 17 | |
| 5810505507 | Shi'ism (or Shiite) | Dominant branch of Islam in Iran, believe that the head of Islam should be a descendant of prophet Muhammad | 18 | |
| 5810505508 | Supreme Leader | Title given to the ayatollah who sits atop all Iranian political institutions. | 19 | |
| 5810505509 | Theocracy | A government ruled by religion; religious leaders are the head of the nation-state; rule on the grounds that they are the only interpreters of God's will and law. | 20 | |
| 5810505510 | Tudah Party | an Iranian communist party. Formed in 1941, with Soleiman Mohsen Eskandari as its head, it had considerable influence in its early years and played an important role duringMohammad Mosaddeq's campaign to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and his term as prime minister. Its influence waned in the crackdown that followed the 1953 coup against Mosaddeq. The party still exists, but is much weaker as a result of the banning of the party and mass arrests by the Islamic Republic in 1982 and the executions of political prisoners in 1988. | 21 | |
| 5810505511 | White Revolution | The term used by the shah to describe reforms in Iran between the end of World War II and the downfall of his regime in 1979 | 22 | |
| 5810505512 | Zoroastrianism | Persian religion founded by Zoroaster; taught that humans had the freedom to choose between right and wrong, and that goodness would triumph in the end | 23 | |
| 13678892465 | Muhammad Mossadegh | Iranian prime minister who attempted to nationalize the oil industry in 1951 | 24 | |
| 13678896701 | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | president of Iran from 2005-2013; hardline conservative; rolled back many liberal reforms and clamped down on the press and Iranian society | 25 | |
| 13678905200 | Sunni | A branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad | 26 | |
| 13678908208 | Shiite | A group of Islamic religion that believes that its religious leader should be chosen based on heredity. | 27 | |
| 13678916636 | SAVAK | Shah's secret police | 28 | |
| 13678928525 | Muhammad Reza Shah | Became Shah of Iran in 1941. Supported the overthrow of Mosaddiq in the 1953 coup. Was a strong proponent of Western based economic and social reform, announcing the White Revolution reforms in 1963. He was viewed as a vehicle for Western influence and in 1975 he ended the two-party system and instituted a one-party authoritarian state. | 29 | |
| 13678934349 | Westernization | adoption of western ideas, technology, and culture | 30 | |
| 13678945082 | Iran Hostage Crisis | In November 1979, revolutionaries stormed the American embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage. The Carter administration tried unsuccessfully to negotiate for the hostages release. On January 20, 1981, the day Carter left office, Iran released the Americans, ending their 444 days in captivity. | 31 | |
| 13680529099 | Expediency Council | Appointed body that mediates between the Majlis and the Guardian Council over legislative disputes | 32 | |
| 13680529100 | multi-member districts | more than one legislative seat is contested in each district | 33 | |
| 13680546695 | President | Head of government but also very symbolic in power | 34 | |
| 13680552097 | Vetting Power | Guardian Council can remove candidates from running for office. | 35 | |
| 13680568855 | Veto Power | Ability to stop a law that is wielded by the Guardian Council and not the President | 36 | |
| 13680586397 | Iran Nuclear Deal | Agreement negotiated between the U.S. and five other world powers, it prevents Iran from developing a nuclear weapon for 10-15 years in return for lifting harsh international sanctions. The deal has been sharply criticized by Republicans in Congress, Israel and the Arab gulf countries. | 37 | |
| 13680590949 | International Sanctions | Actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally. | 38 | |
| 13680602954 | Secular | Non-religious | 39 | |
| 13680605453 | Cultural Revolution | Campaign in Iran to de-westernize and shift the beliefs and practices of the people to more conservative ways. | 40 | |
| 13683879939 | Bonyads | Parastatal foundations made in part from assets nationalized after the Iranian Revolution | 41 | |
| 13683884441 | Revolutionary Guard | Paramilitary force charged with defending the regime from domestic and internal enemies | 42 | |
| 13683888000 | Head of State in Iran | Supreme Leader | 43 | |
| 13683912811 | Head of Government in Iran | President | 44 |
