The Paydari Party: Iran’s ultra-hardliner powerhouse explained

Maryam Sinaiee
Maryam Sinaiee

British Iranian journalist and political analyst

Mahmoud Nabavian, Hamid Rasaei, and Amir-Hossein Sabeti, three ultra-hardliner lawmakers of the Iranian Parliament
Mahmoud Nabavian, Hamid Rasaei, and Amir-Hossein Sabeti, three ultra-hardliner lawmakers of the Iranian Parliament

The Paydari Party, positioned at the far right of the Islamic Republic's political spectrum, remains relatively small but has significantly expanded its influence in Parliament and key state institutions in recent years.

Who leads the Paydari Party?

Since its official registration with the Interior Ministry in October 2020, the Paydari Party has been led by Sadegh Mahsouli.

Yet, Mahsouli—a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officer and business tycoon—rarely makes public statements or represents the party in the media. He previously served in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration, first as Minister of Interior and later as Minister of Welfare and Social Security.

The party’s Central Council Chairman, Morteza Agha-Tehrani, is a mid-ranking cleric (Hojjat ol-Eslam) who has been a lawmaker multiple times since 2008. A former close associate of Ahmadinejad, Agha-Tehrani was once appointed as the president’s “ethics advisor.” Currently, he chairs the Parliament’s Cultural Committee and has played a key role in pushing controversial hardline bills, including the Hijab and Chastity Law.

What are the party’s origins?

The Paydari Party traces its roots to the Islamic Revolution’s Paydari Front, an electoral alliance formed ahead of the 2012 parliamentary elections. It emerged as a hardline faction that split from Ahmadinejad’s camp after his power struggle with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the dismissal of intelligence minister Heydar Moslehi.

After Ahmadinejad refused to acknowledge Khamenei’s reinstatement of Moslehi, his once-loyal allies who later formed the Paydari Party turned against him, branding him and his inner circle as “the deviant current.”

What does the Paydari Party stand for?

The Paydari Party and its affiliates promote a radical, apocalyptic interpretation of Shiism, centering on the belief in the Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam. According to their doctrine, this messianic figure—believed to have been in occultation since 941 CE—will eventually reappear to rid the world of sin and corruption.

The party and its allies maintain very close ties with Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri, a highly controversial cleric widely regarded as the successor to the late Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi.

Mesbah-Yazdi, often considered the spiritual father of the Islamic Republic's ultraconservatives, was held in very high esteem by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Politically, the party is staunchly opposed to:

  • Any nuclear agreement with world powers
  • Diplomatic engagement with the United States and other Western countries
  • Iran’s accession to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) anti-money laundering conventions
  • Lifting of internet restrictions and censorship
  • Leniency in the enforcement of hijab rules

Despite its hardline ideology, the Paydari Party has successfully expanded its grip on Iranian politics, shaping policies that increasingly isolate Iran on the international stage while tightening domestic repression.

How powerful is the Paydari Party?

In the current Parliament (inaugurated May 27, 2024), the Paydari Party and its allies—including the Iran Morning Front (Jebhe-ye Sobh-e Iran), led by ultra-hardliner Ali-Akbar Raefipour—form one of the three dominant factions.

The party frequently clashes with other conservatives aligned with Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, as well as the much smaller faction of “independent” and “reformist” lawmakers who were permitted to run for office by the Guardian Council.

The March 2024 parliamentary elections, along with the May runoffs, saw historically low voter turnout amid widespread public and political boycotts following the 2022–2023 Women, Life, Freedom protests. The Guardian Council faced accusations of mass disqualifications—including some conservatives—allegedly to pave the way for Paydari-backed candidates.

In Tehran, for example, Mahmoud Nabavian, a Paydari candidate, secured the first place with less than six percent of eligible votes.

The party also backed former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in the June 2024 snap presidential elections, another vote marked by boycotts and low turnout. Jalili ultimately lost to Masoud Pezeshkian, winning 44.3 percent of the vote in the runoff.

The party currently wields great influence in many state organizations including the state broadcasting organization, the IRIB. Vahid Jalili, Saeed Jalili’s brother, is the cultural deputy of IRIB.