Background <p>Iran has strict anti-alcohol laws that prohibit the consumption of alcohol. Although no detailed statistics are available on alcohol consumption in Iran, anecdotally, it has increased, with the sale of 511&#xa0;million liters of alcohol per year. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that increase the likelihood of alcohol consumption in Iran.</p> Methods <p>We used a qualitative thematic analysis approach in this study. The collection and analysis of data continued until saturation was reached and patterns were repeated. As a result, 21 alcohol consumers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. To maintain trustworthiness, Morse’s criteria were applied, including credibility, transferability, and confirmability.</p> Results <p>The number of male and female participants was approximately equal, and over 70% held a university degree. The average duration of alcohol use among participants was 6.2 years. Data analysis resulted in 35 final codes, 11 subthemes, and four themes: (1) Political factors, including civil disobedience and government neglect sub-themes (2) Social factors, including demographic factors, contextual factors, situational awareness, and social influence sub-themes (3) Cultural factors, including social identity and cultural change sub-themes, and (4) Psychological factors, including social needs, coping strategies, and individual needs sub-themes.</p> Conclusions <p>Alcohol consumption in Iran is influenced by political, cultural, social, and psychological factors. Reducing the tendency to consume alcohol requires raising awareness about its consequences and providing structured coping-skills training.</p>