Topic summary
Rastakhiz Party
- Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
- Iran crisis of 1946
- Nationalization of the Iranian oil industry
- 1952 uprising
- 1953 coup d'état
- SAVAK
- Great Civilization
- White Revolution
- Iranian Land Reform
- Coronation
- 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire
- Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs
- Rastakhiz Party (Leadership)
- 1975 Algiers Agreement
- State visits
The Resurrection Party of the Iranian Nation, simply known as the Rastakhiz Party, was Iran's sole legal and ruling political party from 2 March 1975 until its dissolution amid the Iranian Revolution on 1 October 1978. The party was founded by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, who was the party's de factoleader.
Although the Rastakhiz Party was presented as a vehicle for national political participation, it operated within a highly centralized political structure closely connected to the state. Membership was strongly encouraged and in many cases effectively required, particularly for government employees and professionals. Despite official claims of millions of members, historians have noted that the organization functioned largely as an extension of the state apparatus rather than as an independent political movement.
During the political unrest that preceded the Iranian Revolution, the party became a frequent target of criticism and protest. As demonstrations intensified in 1978, the Shah dissolved the Rastakhiz Party as part of broader attempts to ease political tensions. The collapse of the monarchy in 1979 led to the suppression of monarchist political organizations, and the party ceased to exist with the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Islamic Republican Party succeeded the Rastakhiz Party in 1980.