In the match held in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, Emad Mirjavan scored an own goal in the 11th minute.
Esteghlal was awarded a penalty in the 32nd minute but Vouria Ghaffouri’s strike was saved by Rahman Ahmadi.
South African midfielder Ayanda Patosi made it 2-0 in the 38th minute.
“I am very happy because we defeated a strong team. However, we could have scored the third goal,” Esteghlal coach Winfried Schaefer said in the post-match news conference.
Esteghlal sits fifth in IPL table with 31 points, seven points behind leader Sepahan.