Rozita Miri

By virtue of the constitutional law dated 1906, further to national consultative assembly, there must be founded a Senate in Iran. However due to some oppositions, it was not formed until the end of the Reza Shah's rule. Following the occupation of Iran by the allied powers in 1941, Reza Shah's exile and weakening of the Pahlavi rule, there appeared some articles in the papers demanding the formation of Senate from the then government. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was also willing to form this assembly. Eventually Hakimi's government prepared the bill for the formation of Senate and presented it to the Majlis. Despite the opposition of some majlis members, the bill was ratified and by the majlis and the Shah. Accordingly the members were to be sixty, thirty to be elected by the Majlis and thirty to be appointed by the Shah known as elected and appointed senators respectively. To enter the Senate the members hold special conditions: they were mainly chosen among the prime ministers, ministers, deputy ministers, governors, army commanders, university professors, and judges with an experience of at least 15 to 20 years, and majlis members of three  periods.

The Senate had seven periods of legislation. The first period was approximately simultaneous with the sixteenth term of Majlis. It was inaugurated in 20 bahman 1949. It was closed during the struggles for the nationalization of oil industry in 1952, and was reopened after the 19^th August coup of 1953.

The presidents of the Senate were Ebrahim Hakimi, Hassan Taqizadeh, Mohsen Sadr, Jafar Sharif Emami, and Mohammad Sajjadi, three of them had been prime ministers (Hakimi, Sadr, and Sharif Emami). The longest period of presidency was that of Sharif Emami.

At the early years of its foundation, there was no special place for the Senate and the members were gathered in the Majlis. After its reopening in 1953, the members thought for a specific place for the Senate. Through much pressure of the members, the Shah agreed to the purchase of AliReza Pahlavi's palace. Since 1954 the Senate sessions were held in this palace. However there was not enough room for the various offices, library and the other services, so it was decided to erect a new building near to the palace which was used for the Senate gatherings up to 1979.