Empire, Oil, and Revolution: Political Transformation in Iran From the Pahlavi Monarchy to the Post-Khamenei Transition

Abstract

Iran has undergone profound political transformation over the past century, evolving from the Pahlavi monarchy to the Islamic Republic while emerging as a major geopolitical actor in the Middle East. This study examines the historical evolution of Iran's political system from the late Pahlavi period to the contemporary post-Khamenei transition, focusing on the interaction between historical legacies, oil politics, revolutionary ideology, and regional security dynamics. The study adopts a qualitative historical research design based on secondary sources, employing a historical-analytical approach supported by Realism, Rentier State Theory, and Regional Security Complex Theory to interpret continuity and change in Iran's political development.
The findings reveal that Iran's political transformation cannot be explained by a single historical event but is the outcome of the combined effects of modernisation, foreign intervention, resource politics, and ideological change. The 1953 coup against Mohammad Mossadegh, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the institutionalisation of Velayat-e-Faqih fundamentally reshaped the country's political structure and state legitimacy. The study further demonstrates that Iran's regional strategy reflects a combination of ideological commitment and pragmatic security considerations, evident in its regional rivalries, nuclear policy, and expanding geopolitical influence. It also identifies the post-Khamenei leadership transition as a critical phase that may influence Iran's future domestic governance and regional role. By integrating historical analysis with international relations theory, the study offers a comprehensive framework for understanding Iran's political evolution and contributes to broader debates on revolutionary states, resource politics, and regional security in the Middle East.

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