| Order of the Islamic Republic | |
| Type: | National order |
| Eligibility: | Foreign nationals |
| Date: | 1990 |
| Country: | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Head Title: | Awarded by |
| Head: | President of Iran |
| Established: | by Council of Iran Ministers on November 21, 1990 |
The Excellent Order of the Islamic Republic (Persian: نشان عالی جمهوری اسلامی|Nešān-e Āli-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi) is Iran's state decoration of honour, established by "Council of Iran Ministers" on November 21, 1990. According to Article 5 of the Regulations on the Awarding of Government Orders of Iran, the Order of the Islamic Republic is awarded by the President of Iran to the heads and other officials of foreign countries, the highest executive of international organizations, or to prominent cultural, political, international characters recognized in any of the following respects:[1] [2] [3] [4]
| Recipient | Country | Office | Date | Awarded By | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) |  Republic of South Africa | President (1994–1999) | 31 January 2001 (1st class) | Mohammad Khatami | [5] [6] | |
| Hugo Chávez (1954–2013) | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela | President (2002–2013) | 29 July 2006 (1st class) | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | [7] [8] | |
| Bashar al-Assad (1965–) | Syrian Arab Republic | President (2000–) | 2 October 2010 (1st class) | [9] [10] | ||
| David Nieves Velásquez Caraballo | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela | Ambassador to Iran (2009–2012) | 5 September 2012 (3rd class) | [11] | ||
According to Article 6 of the Regulations on the Awarding of Government Orders of Iran, The Order of the Islamic Republic has three classes, which upon the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and endorsed by the Cabinet, are awarded to the following qualified persons:[1] [2] [3] [4]