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| Principlists (Iranian political faction) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Principlists |
| Native name | اصولگرایان |
| Country | Iran |
| Ideology | Conservatism, Islamic conservatism, Velayat-e faqih |
| Position | Right-wing |
| Notable figures | Ali Khamenei, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Larijani, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ebrahim Raisi |
Principlists (Iranian political faction) are a conservative political current in the Islamic Republic of Iran that stresses loyalty to the principles of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih, and the authority of the Supreme Leader of Iran. Principlists operate across institutions such as the Assembly of Experts, the Guardian Council, the Parliament of Iran, and the Expediency Discernment Council, engaging with rival currents including Reformists and Pragmatists in elections and policy debates.
Principlists promote an interpretation of Islamic revolutionary legitimacy derived from the teachings of Ruhollah Khomeini and expanded under Ali Khamenei. Their rhetoric emphasizes loyalty to Velayat-e Faqih, opposition to Westernization associated with United States and United Kingdom influence, and support for resistance movements such as Hezbollah and anti-imperialist allies like Syria under Bashar al-Assad and groups allied with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Key intellectual references include texts by Morteza Motahhari, Ali Shariati, and decisions of the Assembly of Experts and rulings by the Supreme Leader of Iran.
The Principlist current emerged after the 1997 election of Mohammad Khatami and crystallized in reaction to Reformism and the 1999 student protests. Elements trace back to factions active during the Iran–Iraq War and the early post-revolutionary period around figures from the Islamic Republican Party and veterans of the Basij and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The 2005 presidential election that brought Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power marked a high point for Principlists, while later contests involving Mir-Hossein Mousavi during the 2009 Iranian presidential election and the Green Movement prompted reconfiguration and the rise of new leaders such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ebrahim Raisi.
Principlists organize through a range of parties, coalitions, and institutions including the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, the Combatant Clergy Association, the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom, the Islamic Coalition Party, and conservative subsets within the Iranian Principlists Front and Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran. They interact with state-affiliated bodies like the Basij and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and network with religious seminaries in Qom and Mashhad. Electoral coalitions have employed umbrella lists such as the Principlists Grand Coalition and local lists for Parliament of Iran and municipal contests.
Prominent Principlist personalities include clerics and politicians such as Ali Khamenei, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Larijani, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ebrahim Raisi, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, Mohammad Javad Larijani, and Sadeq Larijani. Other influential actors include Revolutionary Guard commanders like Qassem Suleimani and conservatives in media and academia associated with institutions such as University of Tehran and seminaries in Qom. Leading organizations often coordinate with figures on the Assembly of Experts and in supervisory roles within the Guardian Council.
Principlists use coordinated candidate vetting via the Guardian Council and alliance-building through conservative fronts to maximize representation in the Parliament of Iran, Assembly of Experts, and presidential contests. Their strategies have included mobilizing support through networks like the Basij, leveraging state media such as Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and forming tactical pacts with pragmatic conservatives during pivotal elections like those in 2005 Iranian presidential election, 2013 Iranian presidential election, and 2017 Iranian presidential election. Candidate disqualifications, endorsements by clerical bodies, and municipal successes in cities like Tehran shape their electoral footprint.
Principlist policy priorities have focused on strengthening Velayat-e Faqih-aligned institutions, prioritizing domestic production in response to United Nations Security Council-led sanctions, and advancing conservative positions on cultural issues debated in the Parliament of Iran and oversight by the Guardian Council. Legislative actions have ranged from economic measures addressing sanctions during the terms of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ebrahim Raisi to social regulations influenced by conservative jurists and the Headquarters for Combating Organized Crime. Principlist influence has affected foreign policy stances toward United States, European Union, and regional policy toward Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.
Principlists contend and cooperate with factions such as Reformists and Pragmatists across institutions like the Guardian Council, Assembly of Experts, and Expediency Discernment Council. Their interactions with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and clerical networks in Qom determine policy outcomes and leadership selection, while tensions with civil society actors and student movements have periodically produced nationwide protests, notably the 2009 Iranian presidential election aftermath. Internationally, Principlist-aligned officials have engaged with actors including Russia, China, and regional non-state partners to pursue strategic autonomy.
Category:Politics of Iran