Interim Government of Iran

Interim Government of Iran دولت موقت ايران (Persian)
1979
State flag Emblem (de facto)[1]
Anthem: Ey Iran (de facto)[2] ای ایران "Oh Iran"
National seal: Seal of Iran "Civil flag:" Civil flag of Iran (1964–1980).svg "Naval Ensign:" Naval Ensign of Iran (1979–1980).svg
Capital and largest city	Tehran
Official languages	Persian
Religion	Shia Islam
Demonym(s)	Iranian
Government	Provisional government
Revolutionary Leader
• 1979	Ruhollah Khomeini
Prime Minister
• 1979	Mehdi Bazargan
Legislature	Revolutionary Council (Only in 1979)
History
• Iranian Revolution	11 February 1979
• Islamic Republic referendum	30–31 March 1979
• Iranian hostage crisis	4 November 1979
• Resignation of Interim Government and Establishment of the Interim Government of Iran (1979–80)	6 November 1979
Area
• Total	1,648,195 km^2 (636,372 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	37,205,000
Currency	Rial
ISO 3166 code	IR
Preceded by Succeeded by Imperial State of Iran Islamic Republic of Iran

The Interim Government of Iran (Persian: دولت موقت ايران, romanized: Dowlat-e Movaqat-e Irân) was the first government established in Iran after the Iranian Revolution. The regime was headed by Mehdi Bazargan, one of the members of the Freedom Movement of Iran,^[3] and formed on the order of Ayatollah Khomeini on 4 February 1979. From 4 to 11 February, Bazargan and Shapour Bakhtiar, the Shah's last Prime Minister, both claimed to be the legitimate prime minister; Bakhtiar fled on 11 February.^[4] Mehdi Bazargan was the prime minister of the interim government and introduced a seven-member cabinet on 14 February 1979. Ebrahim Yazdi was elected as the Foreign Minister.^[5]

The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran was adopted by referendum on 24 October 1979. Before it could come into force on 3 December 1979, however, the government resigned on 6 November soon after the taking over of the American embassy.^[6] The Council of the Islamic Revolution then served as the country's government until the formation of the first Islamic Consultative Assembly on 12 August 1980. Bazargan was elected to the first Islamic Consultative Assembly representing Tehran.^[7]

Formation of the interim government

When Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian revolution, came back to Iran after his 15-year exile, he appointed Mehdi Bazargan as the head of the interim government.^[8] On 4 February 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini issued a decree appointing Bazargan as the prime minister of "The Provisional Islamic Revolutionary Government" (PRG).

His decree stated:

Based on the proposal of the Revolutionary Council and in accordance with the canonical and legal rights which originated from the vote of overwhelming majority of Iranian nation for leadership of the movement which has been represented in the vast gatherings and wide and numerous demonstrations across Iran and because of my utmost trust on your firm belief in the holy tenets of Islam and my knowledge of your precedent in Islamic and national struggles, I appoint you the authority to establish the interim government without consideration of any affiliation to any parties or dependence on any factional groups, for formation of temporary government to arrange organizing of country affairs and especially perform a referendum and refer to public vote of nation about turning the country into Islamic republic and formation of "The Council of the Founders" from the representatives of people to approve of constitution of new regime and to hold elections of representatives of parliament of nation on the basis of the new constitution. It is necessary that you appoint and introduce the members of the temporary government as soon as possible in concordance with the conditions I have clarified. All public offices, the army, and citizens shall furnish their utmost cooperation with your interim government so as to attain the high and holy goals of this Islamic revolution and to restore order and function to the affairs of the nation. I pray to God for the success of you and your interim government in this sensitive juncture of our nation's history.

— Ruhollah Al-Musavi al-Khomeini.^[9]

Elaborating further on his decree, Khomeini made it clear that Iranians were commanded to obey Bazargan and that this was a religious duty.

As a man who, though the guardianship [Velayat] that I have from the holy lawgiver [the Prophet], I hereby pronounce Bazargan as the Ruler, and since I have appointed him, he must be obeyed. The nation must obey him. This is not an ordinary government. It is a government based on the sharia. Opposing this government means opposing the sharia of Islam ... Revolt against God's government is a revolt against God. Revolt against God is blasphemy.^[10]

Khomeini's announcement came days before the army's official statement announcing the army's (Bakhtiar's last hope) neutrality in conflicts between Khomeini's and Bakhtiar's supporters. Bakhtiar fled on the same day, 11 February, the day that is officially named as Islamic Revolution's Victory Day.

The PRG is often described as "subordinate" to the Revolutionary Council, and having had difficulties reigning in the numerous committees which were competing with its authority.^[11]

Members of the cabinet

Cabinet of Mehdi Bazargan
Cabinet of Iran
Mehdi Bazargan and his cabinet in 1979
Date formed	4 February 1979 (1979-02-04)
Date dissolved	6 November 1979 (1979-11-06)
People and organisations
Head of state	Ruhollah Khomeini
Head of government	Mehdi Bazargan
Deputy head of government	"None"
No. of ministers	18
Ministers removed	7
Total no. of members	27
Member party	Freedom Movement National Front (Iran Party, Party of the Iranian People, Nation Party) JAMA
History
Election	None
Legislature term	None
Predecessor	Cabinet of Bakhtiar
Successor	Interim Cabinet of Revolutionary Council

According to Mohammad Ataie, the cabinet was made up of two main factions, moderates and radicals.^[12] Most of cabinet members were nationalist veterans and sympathizers of the Freedom Movement of Iran and a few from the National Front.^[13]

Bazargan reshuffled his cabinet several times because of resignation of ministers that were unable to cope with parallel sources of power. In several cases a ministry was supervised by an acting minister or Bazargan himself.

List of members of Bazargan's cabinet was as follows:

Portfolio	Minister	Took office	Left office	Party		Ref
Prime Minister	Mehdi Bazargan	4 February 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Deputy Prime Minister for Public Relations and Administration	Abbas Amir-Entezam	13 February 1979	August 1979		FMI
	Sadeq Tabatabaei	August 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Deputy Prime Minister for Revolutionary Affairs	Ebrahim Yazdi	13 February 1979	12 April 1979		FMI	[14]
	Mostafa Chamran	12 April 1979	29 September 1979		FMI
Deputy Prime Minister for Transitional Affairs	Hashem Sabbaghian	13 February 1979	20 June 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of Interior	Ahmad Sayyed Javadi	13 February 1979	20 June 1979		FMI	[14][15]
	Hashem Sabbaghian	20 June 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14][15]
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Karim Sanjabi	13 February 1979	1 April 1979		NF	[14]
	Mehdi Bazargan^A	1 April 1979	12 April 1979		FMI	[14]
	Ebrahim Yazdi	12 April 1979	12 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of Health	Kazem Sami	13 February 1979	29 October 1979		JAMA	[14][15]
Minister of Agriculture	Ali-Mohammad Izadi	18 February 1979	6 November 1979		NF	[14]
Minister of Information	Nasser Minachi	22 February 1979	6 November 1979		Independent	[14]
Minister of Energy	Abbas Taj	18 February 1979	6 November 1979		IAE	[14]
Minister of Post	Mohammad Hassan Eslami	22 February 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of Finance	Ali Ardalan	18 February 1979	6 November 1979		NF	[14]
Ministry of Housing	Mostafa Katiraei	13 February 1979	6 November 1979		IAE	[14]
Minister of Labour	Dariush Forouhar	13 February 1979	29 September 1979		NF	[14][15]
	Ali Espahbodi	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14][15]
Ministry of Roads	Yadollah Taheri	13 February 1979	6 November 1979		IAE	[14]
Ministry of Industries	Mahmoud Ahmadzadeh	18 February 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Ministry of Commerce	Reza Sadr	18 February 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of Culture	Ali Shariatmadari	22 February 1979	29 September 1979		JAMA	[14]
	Hassan Habibi	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of Education	Gh. Hossein Shokouhi	22 February 1979	29 September 1979		Independent	[14]
	Mohammad-Ali Rajaei^A	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of Justice	Assadollah Mobashery	18 February 1979	20 June 1979		NF	[14]
	Ahmad Sayyed Javadi	20 June 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister of National Defense	Ahmad Madani	22 February 1979	2 March 1979		NF	[14][15]
	Taghi Riahi	2 March 1979	18 September 1979		NF	[15][16]
	Mostafa Chamran	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[15]
Minister of Petroleum	Ali Akbar Moinfar	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		IAE	[14]
Minister without Portfolio for Revolutionary Projects	Yadollah Sahabi	18 February 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister without Portfolio for Plan and Budget	Ali Akbar Moinfar	13 February 1979	29 September 1979		IAE	[14]
	Ezzatollah Sahabi	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		FMI	[14]
Minister without Portfolio for Provincial Inspection	Dariush Forouhar	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		NF	[14]
Minister without Portfolio for Executive Affairs	Hossein Baniasadi	29 September 1979	6 November 1979		FMI
Deputy Prime Minister for Physical Education	Hossein Shah-Hosseini	February 1979	6 November 1979		NF
Deputy Prime Minister for Environment	Abbas Sami'i	February 1979	23 August 1979		FMI

Resignation

The Prime Minister and all members of his cabinet resigned en masse on 6 November 1979 after American Embassy officials were taken hostage two days earlier on 4 November 1979. In his letter to Khomeini, Bazargan stated that "...repeated interferences, inconveniences, objections and disputes have made my colleagues and me unable to continue [meeting] our duties ...".

Power then passed into the hands of the Revolutionary Council. Bazargan had been a supporter of the original revolutionary draft constitution rather than theocracy by Islamic jurist, and his resignation was received by Khomeini without protest, saying "Mr. Bazargan ... was a little tired and preferred to stay on the sidelines for a while." Khomeini later described his appointment of Bazargan as a "mistake".^[17] Bazargan, on the other hand, described the government as a "knife without blade."^[18]

See also

• Interim Government of Iran (1981)
• Iranian Revolution
• Iran hostage crisis

References

1. The Flag Bulletin, vol. XX, The Flag Research Center, May–June 1981, ISSN 0015-3370, The development of new symbols in Iran was a slow process. Monuments and other visible expressions of imperial power, especially those associated personally with the deposed shah, were quickly eliminated; the imperial crown immediately disappeared from the war flag and ensign. Nevertheless other flags continued in use – the civil flag and ensign (plain green-white-red stripes) and the state flag and ensign (the same stripes with the lion and sun in the center). The lion and sun also continued as the state arms
2. Sanam Zahir (2008), The Music of the Children of Revolution: The State of Music and Emergence of the Underground Music in the Islamic Republic of Iran with an Analysis of Its Lyrical Content, ISBN 9780549893073, A contrast to these two anthems is the song that was used during the revolution of 1979 as the de facto national anthem of the transition period. This song, Ey Iran is argued here...
3. Reza Safa (2006). The Coming Fall of Islam in Iran: Thousands of Muslims Find Christ in the Midst of Persecution. Charisma Media. p. 78. ISBN 9781591859888.
4. Mir M.Hosseini. "February, 5, 1979 A.D.: Bazargan Becomes Prime Minister". The Iranian history article. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
5. Samih K. Farsoun, Mehrdad Mashayekhi (22 November 2005). Iran: Political Culture in the Islamic Republic. Routledge. p. 173. ISBN 9781134969470.
6. Nikou, Semira N. "Timeline of Iran's Political Events". United States Institution of Peace. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
7. Mehdi Noorbaksh. "Mehdi Bazargan's Biography". Cultural Foundation of Mehdi Bazargan. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
8. Bayram Sinkaya (19 June 2015). The Revolutionary Guards in Iranian Politics: Elites and Shifting Relations. Routledge. p. 79. ISBN 9781317525646.
9. چرا و چگونه بازرگان به نخست وزیری رسید؟ Archived 13 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine The commandment of Ayatollah Khomeini for Bazargan and his sermon on 5 February
10. Khomeini, Sahifeh-ye Nur, vol. 5, p. 31, translated by Baqer Moin in Khomeini (2000), p. 204
11. Arjomand, Turban for the Crown, (1988) p.135
12. Mohammad Ataie (Summer 2013). "Revolutionary Iran's 1979 endeavor in Lebanon". Middle East Policy. XX (2): 137–157. doi:10.1111/mepo.12026.
13. Amir Poursadigh (2003). The Determinants of the Revolutionary Disintegration of the State in Iran (PhD thesis). University of Tampere. p. 19.
14. Mohammad Heydari (2008), "اخراجی‌های دولت", Shahrvand Magazine (in Persian), no. 43
15. "کابینه بازرگان ترمیم شد", Iranian History (in Persian), archived from the original on 17 July 2017, retrieved 25 November 2016
16. "تیمسار ریاحی از وزارت دفاع ملی استعفا داد", Iranian History (in Persian), archived from the original on 26 February 2019, retrieved 25 November 2016
17. Moin, Khomeini,(2000), p. 222
18. Lynn Berat (1995). Between States: Interim Governments in Democratic Transitions. Cambridge University Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-521-48498-5.

State of Iran
Preceded by Imperial State of Iran	Interim Government of Iran 1979	Succeeded by Islamic Republic
Cabinet of Iran
Preceded by Cabinet of Bakhtiar	Cabinet of Bazargan 1979	Succeeded by Interim Cabinet of Revolutionary Council