Who runs local government in Iran?
Iran combines appointed provincial and county governors with elected 'Islamic councils' in every city and village. The Constitution (Articles 7 and 100) makes these councils decision-making bodies, and city councils choose the mayor. But candidates must first be approved by vetting boards, and the central government, through the Ministry of Interior, keeps strong control.
Islamic Republic of Iran · Unitary Islamic republic · Western Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (31) | Governor-general (ostandar) appointed by the government on the Interior Minister's proposal | Represents central government; coordinates ministries in the province. The constitutional provincial councils were never fully put into operation. |
| Counties (shahrestan) and districts (bakhsh) | County governor (farmandar) and district governor (bakhshdar) appointed through the Ministry of Interior | State administration, security and coordination. |
| Cities (about 1,345 municipalities) and villages (about 37,000) | City and village Islamic councils directly elected for four years; the city council elects the mayor; village councils choose a village manager (dehyar) | Councils approve local budgets and plans and supervise the mayor; municipalities run urban services, planning and permits. |
Three questions about local power in Iran
Are local leaders elected?
City and village council members are directly elected (block vote). Mayors are chosen by councils. Governors at province, county and district level are appointed. Friday prayer leaders are appointed by the Supreme Leader.
Which laws set up local government?
Councils are in the Constitution and the 1996 Law on the Organization, Duties and Election of the Islamic Councils; governors and municipalities are set by statute. Tribal elders' mediation is informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters can replace councils every four years, but candidates must pass vetting by boards set up under the elections law, which have disqualified sitting councillors (for example most of Tehran's councillors in 2021). The Interior Ministry must confirm mayors of large cities and can challenge council decisions; councils can dismiss mayors.
Traditional and customary authority
Shia clerics hold great influence: Friday prayer leaders in each city are appointed by the Supreme Leader and act as his local representatives, and seminaries in Qom and Mashhad shape public life. In some border provinces (for example among Baluch, Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen communities and among tribal groups such as the Qashqai and Bakhtiari) tribal elders and Sunni clerics still mediate disputes and act as go-betweens with the state. These roles have no formal local-government power, apart from the officially appointed Friday prayer leaders.
Community and neighbourhood power
Large cities such as Tehran have neighbourhood councils (shura-ye mahalleh), set up under a charter of the city council to channel residents' views. Mosques, Basij (volunteer militia) bases and religious foundations also organise local activities and welfare. These bodies sit under, or alongside, the state rather than being independent.
Points to know
- Article 103 of the Constitution says appointed governors must abide by decisions of the councils within their jurisdiction, but in practice the central government sets most budgets.
- Vetting of council candidates is done by supervisory boards linked to Parliament, not by the Guardian Council that vets presidential and parliamentary candidates.
- UN Women counted 6,480 women among elected council members after the 2021 elections (about 5%).
- A Supreme Council of the Provinces, made up of representatives of provincial councils, can propose bills to Parliament (Articles 101–102).
Local terms
- Shura
- Council; Iran's elected city and village councils are officially 'Islamic councils'.
- Ostandar
- Provincial governor-general, appointed by the central government.
- Dehyar
- A village manager chosen by the village council to run local services.
Sources
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)'s Constitution of 1979 (rev. 1989), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Iran (Islamic Republic of): local government profile, UN Women (Women in Local Government country profiles), checked 14 October 2026
- Charter for Neighborhood Councils, Iran Data Portal, Syracuse University, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Iran's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.