Socialism in Iran
Socialism in Iran, or Iranian socialism, is a political ideology that originated in the 20th century and is represented by various political parties within the country. Iran briefly experienced a period of Third World socialism at the height of the Tudeh Party, following the abdication of Reza Shah and the ascension of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. However, the Tudeh Party never rose to power. After failing to seize power, this form of Third World socialism was replaced by Mohammad Mosaddegh's populist, non-aligned Iranian nationalism, represented by the National Front party. This movement became the main anti-monarchy force in Iran, briefly reaching power between 1949 and 1953, and maintaining its influence even in opposition after the overthrow of Mossadegh. The ideology eventually gave way to the rise of Islamism and the Iranian Revolution. The Tudeh Party later shifted toward a more basic form of socialist communism.
Iranian Socialist organizations during 1900–1979
Social Democratic Party
The Social Democratic Party was established in 1904 or 1905 by Iranian emigrants in Transcaucasia, with assistance from local revolutionaries. The party maintained close ties with the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and the Hemmat Party. It was the first socialist organization in Iran. The party developed a unique blend of European socialism and indigenous ideas, while also advocating liberalism and nationalism. Although critical of the conservative ulama, it retained some religious beliefs and supported the separation of church and state. The party was founded by Haydar Khan Amo-oghli and led by Nariman Narimanov.Unified Socialist Party and Social Reformers Party
During the constitutional era, the Unified Socialist Party and the Social Reformers Party were socialist political parties in Qajar Iran. The Social Reformers Party was considered more moderate compared to the economic platforms of the Democrat Party and the Social Democratic Party, although it similarly opposed the landlords.Union and Progress Party
The Union and Progress Party was a political party during the constitutional era of Qajar Iran. In the 1909 Persian legislative election, the party won four seats and allied with the Moderate Socialists Party against the Democrat Party.Democrat Party
The Democrat Party, founded in 1909 during the constitutional era of Qajar Iran, was one of two major parliamentary parties at the time, alongside its rival, the Moderate Socialists Party. The party followed a social democrat ideology and was initially an offshoot of the Transcaucasia-based Social Democratic Party. However, it severed direct ties with Baku and removed "Socialist" from its name to appeal to the conservative public, although its ideology remained heavily influenced by the original party. The party was largely composed of middle-class intellectuals and advocated for the separation of church and state.In 1918, the party split into two factions: the Pro-Reorganization Democrats, led by Bahar, and the Anti-Reorganization Democrats. Notable members included Hassan Taqizadeh and Haydar Khan Amo-oghli.
Socialist Revolutionary Party
Founded in the 1900s, the Socialist Revolutionary Party, also known as the Social-Revolutionaries, was an Iranian revolutionary socialist party based in Baku, Caucasus Viceroyalty. It was one of the most significant parties established by Iranian emigrants in Transcaucasia during the Qajar era. The party published an Azerbaijani-language newspaper, Ekinçi ve Fe'le, which was issued twice a week and edited by Hosayn Israfilbekov.Communist Party of Persia
The Communist Party of Persia, originally established in 1917 as the Justice Party, was an Iranian communist party founded by former members of the Social Democratic Party who supported the Baku-based Bolsheviks. The party participated in the Third International in 1919 and was renamed the Communist Party of Iran in 1920.Socialist Party
During the 1920s, the Socialist Party was a leading left-wing political party in Iran. It maintained close ties with the Tudeh Party of Iran and joined the Tudeh-led United Front of Progressive Parties in 1946, eventually being absorbed by the larger group. The roots of the Socialist Party lay in the Democrat Party, a reformist group active in the early 20th century. After the disintegration of that movement, members who retained faith in mobilizing the lower and middle classes regrouped under the Socialist Party banner in 1921. The party was led by Sulayman Eskandari, Muhammad Musavat, and Qasim Khan Sur, along with Muhammad Sadiq Tabatabai, a member of a prominent clerical family recruited to mitigate opposition from conservative clerics. The party’s main newspaper, Toufan , was edited by the outspoken and controversial poet Mohammad Farrokhi Yazdi.The party established branches in Rasht, Qazvin, Bandar Anzali, Tabriz, Mashhad, Kerman, and Kermanshah, although Tehran remained its primary base of operations. In the capital, the party founded four newspapers and established affiliated organizations, including the Union of Employees in the Ministry of Post and Telegraph, a Tenants Association, and the Patriotic Women's Society. The latter campaigned for a broader role for women in Iranian society, promoting initiatives such as education for girls and improved healthcare for women. It was founded in 1922 by Mohtaram Eskandari and quickly became affiliated with her husband’s party.
The party’s platform advocated for establishing equality in society, nationalizing the means of production, implementing irrigation schemes, introducing a new level of regional government, ensuring a free and equal judiciary, guaranteeing rights to free speech, free assembly, and trade union rights, conducting free elections, expanding access to education, improving working conditions, ending child labour, and promoting government intervention against unemployment. The party gained some support, attracting 2,500 members in Tehran alone shortly after its formation.
Alongside the Reformist Party, the Revival Party and the Communist Party, the Socialist Party was one of the four groups courted by Rezā Shāh as he sought to secure the Iranian throne. It joined forces with the Revival Party to form a working majority in the Iranian parliament, enabling Reza Khan to establish a reformist government. However, Reza Khan soon distanced himself from the Socialists, aligning with more conservative elements after abandoning plans for a republic and opting to establish himself as king. The Socialist Party was one of the few groups in parliament that refused to actively support Reza’s rise to the throne, arguing that their republican principles prevented them from endorsing a monarchy, despite supporting many of his reforms.
Following Reza Shah’s ascension, the Socialist Party was dissolved as part of a broader crackdown on anti-monarchist dissent. Eskandari was forced to retire from public life, and mobs were organized to harass party members and attack their properties. A police-led mob razed a Socialist Theatre in Enzeli on the pretext that a female actor had appeared on stage during a performance of Tartuffe. In Tehran, the Patriotic Women's Society was stoned, and its library was burned down. A minor group of the same name re-emerged in 1944 when radical members of the Comrades Party split from that group over its failure to support striking workers in Isfahan.
Young Communist League of Persia
The Young Communist League of Persia, founded during the Gilan Revolution, was a communist youth organization established in Qajar Iran following the split between the communist and non-communist Jangali elements on 31 July 1920. The YCL of Persia engaged in agitation and propaganda activities and organized armed actions against the followers of Kuchik Khan. The organization was dismantled after the defeat of the Gilan Soviet.In 1927, various communist youth groups merged to reestablish the YCL of Persia. It became a section of the Young Communist International. However, in the autumn of 1928, the organization was suppressed along with other leftist groups.
Revolutionary Republican Party of Iran
Founded in late 1924 by the Iranian diaspora in Germany, the Revolutionary Republican Party of Iran was a moderate left-wing political party in Qajar Iran with socialist reformist tendencies. The party published its platform in 1926.Jungle Party
Active in northern Iran during the 1940s, the Jungle Party was a secessionist, nationalist, and socialist party founded by armed rebels seeking to revive the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic established in 1921, using its red flag as a symbol. The party was supported by some of Mirza Kuchik Khan's former associates. In 1946, the Jungle Party allied with the Iran Party, the Tudeh Party of Iran, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and the Azerbaijani Democratic Party.Iran Party
Established in 1941, the Iran Party is described as the "backbone of the National Front", the leading umbrella organization of Iranian nationalists. Founded mainly by European-educated technocrats, the party advocated for "a diluted form of French socialism" and promoted social democracy, liberal nationalism, and secularism. The party’s socialist stance was more akin to that of the Fabian Society than to the scientific socialism of Karl Marx. Its focus on liberal socialist and democratic socialist principles made it distinct from purely left-wing parties, and it did not engage much in labour rights discussions. The core of the party consisted of members from the Iranian Engineers' Association.In the Iranian legislative election of 1944, five of the party's leaders—Rezazadeh Shafaq, Ghulam'Ali Farivar, AhdulHamid Zanganeh, Hussein Mu'aven, and Abdallah Mu'azemi—won seats, along with Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was not a member but was effectively supported by the party. The party played a key role in helping Mosaddegh establish the National Front, nationalize the oil industry, and rise to power. Several members held office during the Mosaddegh government.
In the 1950s, the party was led by Karim Sanjabi and Allah-Yar Saleh. It was suppressed following the British-American backed coup d'état in 1953 and outlawed in 1957 on the grounds of its alliance with the Tudeh Party of Iran a decade earlier. The party was revived in 1960 and actively contributed to the National Front, which disintegrated in 1963 and was forced to operate secretly. The Iran Party held a congress in 1964.
Not much is known about the party's activities between 1964 and the mid-1970s, except for some irregular meetings and exchanges of views. In 1977, alongside the League of Socialists and the Nation Party, it helped revive the National Front and demanded the return of Ruhollah Khomeini to Iran. In early 1979, Shapour Bakhtiar, the secretary-general of the party, was appointed as the last Prime Minister by the Shah, with two Iran Party members in his cabinet. However, the party denounced Bakhtiar's acceptance of the post, expelled him, and labeled him a "traitor." After 1979, the Iran Party did not play a significant role in the Iranian political arena and was soon banned.