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{{#invoke:Infobox|infoboxTemplate
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{{#if:Islamic Republic of Iran<templatestyles src="Nobold/styles.css"/>Template:Native name
Template:Transliteration
| {{#if:Islamic Republic of Iran
|
}}{{#if:<templatestyles src="Nobold/styles.css"/>Template:Native name
Template:Transliteration
|
}}{{#ifeq:|yes
|Micronation
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|
}}
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Template:Transliteration (Takbir)
"God is the Greatest"
(de jure)
{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
Template:Transliteration
"Independence, freedom, the Islamic Republic"
(de facto)Template:Sfn
|Motto: Template:If empty{{#if:|
}}
}}
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Template:Transliteration
"National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran"Template:Parabr
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| [[Iranian people|Iranian]]
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| rowclass101= mergedtoprow | label101= {{#ifeq:|yes|Claimed|}} GDP Template:Nobold | data101= {{#if:Template:Increase $1.746 trillion<ref name="IMFWEO.IR">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Increase $19,957<ref name="IMFWEO.IR" />
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| label108= HDI{{#if:2023 | Template:Nobold}} | data108= {{#if:0.799
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Template:Nowrap{{#if:75th
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| Calling code
}}
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|omit =
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|#default = [[ISO 3166-2:{{{ISO3166CODE}}}|{{{ISO3166CODE}}}]]
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{{{official_website}}}
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-
{{#if:|
}}{{#if:|
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{{#if:|
}}{{#if:|
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| belowclass = mergedtoprow noprint | below = {{#if:| Template:Navbar }} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox country with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| admin_center_type | admin_center | alt_coat | alt_flag | alt_flag2 | alt_map | alt_map2 | alt_map3 | alt_symbol | anthem | anthems | antipodes | area_acre | area_data2 | area_data3 | area_footnote | area_ha | area_km2 | area_label | area_label2 | area_label3 | area_land_acre | area_land_footnote | area_land_ha | area_land_km2 | area_land_sq_mi | area_link | area_rank | area_sq_mi | area_water_acre | area_water_footnote | area_water_ha | area_water_km2 | area_water_sq_mi | regexp1 = border_[ps][%d]+ | calling_code | capital_exile | capital_type | capital | cctld | coa_size | coat_alt | common_languages | common_name | conventional_long_name | coordinates | currency_code | currency | date_end | regexp2 = date_event[%d]+ | date_format | date_post | date_pre | date_start | demonym | regexp3 = deputy[%d]+ | drives_on | DST_note | DST | empire | englishmotto | era | regexp4 = established_date[%d]+ | regexp5 = established_event[%d]+ | established | ethnic_groups_ref | ethnic_groups_year | ethnic_groups | event_end | event_post | event_pre | event_start | regexp6 = event[%d]+ | flag| flag_alt | flag_alt2 | flag_border | flag_caption | flag_caption | regexp7 = flag_[ps][%d]+ | flag_size | flag_type | flag_type_article | flag_width | flag2_border | regexp8 = footnote_[a-h] | regexp9 = footnote[%d]+ | footnotes | footnotes2 | FR_cadastre_area_km2 | FR_cadastre_area_rank | FR_cadastre_area_sq_mi | FR_foot | FR_foot2 | FR_foot3 | FR_foot4 | FR_foot5 | FR_IGN_area_km2 | FR_IGN_area_rank | FR_IGN_area_sq_mi | FR_metropole_population_estimate_rank | FR_metropole_population | FR_metropole | FR_total_population_estimate_rank | FR_total_population_estimate_year | FR_total_population_estimate | GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank | GDP_nominal_per_capita | GDP_nominal_rank | GDP_nominal_year | GDP_nominal | GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank | GDP_PPP_per_capita | GDP_PPP_rank | GDP_PPP_year | GDP_PPP | Gini_change | Gini_rank | Gini_ref | Gini_year | Gini | government_type | HDI_change | HDI_rank | HDI_ref | HDI_year | HDI | house1 | house2 | image_coat | image_flag | image_flag2 | image_map_alt | image_map_caption | image_map_size | image_map | image_map2_alt | image_map2_caption | image_map2_size | image_map2 | image_map3 | regexp10 = image_[ps][%d]+ | image_symbol | iso3166code | languages_sub | languages_type | languages | languages2_sub | languages2_type | languages2 | largest_city | largest_settlement_type | largest_settlement | regexp11 = leader_name[%d]+ | regexp12 = leader_title[%d]+ | regexp13 = leader[%d]+ | legislature | life_span | linking_name | location_map | loctext | lower_house | map_caption | map_caption2 | map_caption3 | map_width | map2_width | map3_width | membership_type | membership | micronation | motto | name | national_anthem | national_languages | national_motto | native_name | navbar | nummembers | official_languages | official_website | org_type | other_symbol_type | other_symbol | regexp14 = [ps][%d]+ | patron_saint | patron_saints | percent_water | politics_link | pop_den_footnote | population_census_rank | population_census_year | population_census | population_data2 | population_data3 | population_density_km2 | population_density_rank | population_density_sq_mi | population_estimate_rank | population_estimate_year | population_estimate | population_label2 | population_label3 | population_link | recognised_languages | recognised_national_languages | recognised_regional_languages | recognized_languages | recognized_national_languages | regexp15 = ref_area[%d]+ | regexp16 = ref_pop[%d]+ | regional_languages | recognized_regional_languages | religion_ref | religion_year | religion | regexp17 = representative[%d]+ | royal_anthem | flag_anthem | march | national_march | regional_anthem | territorial_anthem | state_anthem | sovereignty_note | sovereignty_type | regexp18 = stat_area[%d]+ | regexp19 = stat_pop[%d]+ | regexp20 = stat_year[%d]+ | status_text | status | symbol| symbol_type_article | symbol_type | symbol_width | text_symbol_type | text_symbol | time_zone_DST | time_zone | title_deputy | title_leader | title_representative | today | type_house1 | type_house2 | upper_house | utc_offset_DST | utc_offset | regexp21 = year_deputy[%d]+ | year_end | year_exile_end | year_exile_start | regexp22 = year_leader[%d]+ | regexp23 = year_representative[%d]+ | year_start}}Template:Main other{{#if:|{{#ifeq:|Colony|Template:Main other|{{#ifeq:|Exile|Template:Main other}}}} }} Template:Contains special characters Iran,Template:EfnTemplate:Efn officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI)Template:Efn and also known as Persia,Template:Efn is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. With a multi-ethnic population of over 92 million in an area of Template:Convert, Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the sixth-largest country entirely in Asia and one of the world's most mountainous countries. Officially an Islamic republic, Iran is divided into five regions with 31 provinces. Tehran is the nation's capital, largest city and financial centre.
A cradle of civilisation, Iran has been inhabited since the Lower Palaeolithic. The large part of Iran was first unified as a political entity by the Medes under Cyaxares in the seventh century BC, and reached its territorial height in the sixth century BC, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire, one of the largest in ancient history. Alexander the Great conquered the empire in the fourth century BC. An Iranian rebellion in the third century BC established the Parthian Empire, which later liberated the country. In the third century AD, the Parthians were succeeded by the Sasanian Empire, whose era was considered a golden age in the history of Iranian civilisation. Ancient Iran saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, religion and central government. Once a centre for Zoroastrianism, the Muslims conquered the region in the seventh century AD, leading to Iran's Islamisation. The literature, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, astronomy and art which had blossomed during the Sasanian era were renewed during the Islamic Golden Age and Iranian Intermezzo, when a series of Iranian Muslim dynasties ended Arab rule, revived the Persian language and ruled the country. This era was followed by the Seljuk and Khwarazmian rule, Mongol conquests and Timurid Renaissance from 11th to 14th centuries.
In the 16th century, the native Safavid dynasty re-established a unified Iranian state with Twelver Shi'ism as the official religion. During the Afsharid Empire in the 18th century, Iran was a leading world power, but this was no longer the case after the Qajars took power in the 1790s. The early 20th century saw the Persian Constitutional Revolution and the establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty by Reza Shah, who ousted the last Qajar shah in 1925. Attempts by Mohammad Mosaddegh to nationalise the oil industry led to an Anglo-American coup in 1953. After the Iranian Revolution, the monarchy was overthrown in 1979 and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini, who became the country's first supreme leader. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, sparking the eight-year-long Iran–Iraq War, which ended in stalemate.
Iran is officially governed as a unitary Islamic republic with a presidential system, with ultimate authority vested in a supreme leader. The government is authoritarian and has attracted widespread criticism for its significant violations of human rights and civil liberties. Iran is a major regional power, due to its large reserves of fossil fuels, including the world's second largest natural gas supply, third largest proven oil reserves, its geopolitically significant location, military capabilities, cultural hegemony, regional influence, and role as the world's focal point of Shia Islam. The Iranian economy is the world's 23rd-largest by PPP. Iran is a founding member of the United Nations, OIC, OPEC, and ECO as well as a current member of the NAM, SCO, and BRICS. Iran is home to 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the 10th highest in the world, and ranks 5th in intangible cultural heritage, or human treasures.
EtymologyEdit
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The term Iran Template:Gloss derives from Middle Persian Template:Transliteration, first attested in a 3rd-century inscription at Naqsh-e Rostam, with the accompanying Parthian inscription using Template:Transliteration, in reference to the Iranians.Template:Sfn Template:Transliteration and Template:Transliteration are oblique plural forms of gentilic nouns ēr- (Middle Persian) and ary- (Parthian), deriving from Proto-Iranian language *arya- (meaning 'Aryan', i.e. of the Iranians),Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn recognised as a derivative of Proto-Indo-European language Template:PIE, meaning Template:Gloss.<ref>Laroche. 1957. Proto-Iranian *arya- descends from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) Template:PIE, a yo-adjective to a root Template:PIE "to assemble skillfully", present in Greek harma "chariot", Greek aristos, (as in "aristocracy"), Latin ars "art", etc.</ref> According to Iranian mythology, the name comes from Iraj, a legendary king.Template:Sfn
Iran was referred to as Persia by the West, due to Greek historians who referred to all of Iran as Template:Transliteration, meaning 'the land of the Persians'.<ref name="Arnold Wilson">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Fishman">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Lewis1984">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Persia Template:Webarchive, Encyclopædia Britannica, "The term Persia was used for centuriesTemplate:Nbsp... [because] use of the name was gradually extended by the ancient Greeks and other peoples to apply to the whole Iranian plateau."</ref> Persia is the Fars province in southwest Iran, the 4th largest province, also known as Pârs.<ref name="Your Gateway to Knowledge">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref><ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Persian Fârs (فارس), derived from the earlier form Pârs (پارس), which is in turn derived from Pârsâ (Old Persian: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿). Due to Fars' historical importance,<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Persia originated from this territory through Greek in around 550 BC,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Westerners referred to the entire country as Persia,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> until 1935, when Reza Shah requested the international community to use its native and original name, Iran;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Iranians called their nation Iran since at least 1000 BC.<ref name="Your Gateway to Knowledge"/> Today, both Iran and Persia are used culturally, while Iran remains mandatory in official use.<ref name="artarena">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Farrokh, Kaveh. Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War. Template:ISBN</ref>
The Persian pronunciation of Iran is {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Commonwealth English pronunciations of Iran are listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as Template:IPAc-en and Template:IPAc-en,<ref name="Oxford_Iran">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while American English dictionaries provide pronunciations which map to Template:IPAc-en,<ref name="MW_Iran">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> or Template:IPAc-en. The Cambridge Dictionary lists Template:IPAc-en as the British pronunciation and Template:IPAc-en as the American pronunciation. Voice of America's pronunciation guide provides Template:IPAc-en.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
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AntiquityEdit
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Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilisations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC.<ref name="People.cn">People, "New evidence: modern civilization began in Iran", 10 Aug 2007 Template:Webarchive, retrieved 1 October 2007</ref> The western part of the Iranian plateau participated in the traditional ancient Near East with Elam (3200–539 BC), and later with other peoples such as the Kassites, Mannaeans, and Gutians. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel called the Persians the "first Historical People".<ref name="IRHEGEL">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
The Median dynasty is traditionally considered to have ruled the earliest Iranian state.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn In 612 BC, Cyaxares and the Babylonian king Nabopolassar invaded Assyria and laid siege to and eventually destroyed Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, which led to the fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.<ref name=Nineveh>Template:Cite book</ref> Urartu was later on conquered and dissolved as well by the Medes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Whether the Medes ruled an imperial state or merely a loose tribal confederation is disputed among historians.Template:Sfn
Achaemenid EmpireEdit
The Achaemenids united all Persian tribes under Cyrus I's son Cambyses I. Under Cambyses I's son, Cyrus II, the Achaemenids defeated the Medes and established the Achaemenid Empire,Template:Sfn the largest ever Iranian state.Template:Sfn He later conquered the Lydian, and Neo-Babylonian empires, creating an empire far larger than Assyria. He was better able, through more benign policies, to reconcile his subjects to Persian rule; the longevity of his empire was one result. The Persian king, like the Assyrian, was also "King of Kings", xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām (shāhanshāh in modern Persian) – "great king", Megas Basileus, as known by the Greeks. Cyrus's son, the Cambyses II, conquered the last major power of the region, ancient Egypt, causing the collapse of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt.
After the death of Cambyses II, the Darius I ascended the throne by overthrowing the legitimate Achaemenid monarch Bardiya. Darius' first capital was at Susa, and he started the building program at Persepolis. He improved the extensive road system, and it is during his reign that mentions are first made of the Royal Road, a great highway stretching all the way from Susa to Sardis with posting stations at regular intervals.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 499 BC, Athens lent support to a revolt in Miletus, which resulted in the sacking of Sardis. This led to an Achaemenid campaign against mainland Greece known as the Greco-Persian Wars, which lasted the first half of the 5th century BC, and is known as one of the most important wars in European history. In the First Persian invasion of Greece, the Persian general Mardonius re-subjugated Thrace and made Macedon a full part of Persia.Template:Sfn The war eventually turned out in defeat, however. Darius' successor Xerxes I launched the Second Persian invasion of Greece. At a crucial moment in the war, about half of mainland Greece was overrun by the Persians, including all territories to the north of the Isthmus of Corinth,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Aeschylus, Burian2009">Template:Cite book</ref> however, this was also turned out in a Greek victory, following the battles of Plataea and Salamis, by which Persia lost its footholds in Europe, and eventually withdrew from it.Template:Sfn
The empire entered a period of decline, weakening it. From 334 BC to 331 BC, Alexander the Great defeated Darius III in the battles of Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela, swiftly conquering the Achaemanid Empire by 331 BC. Alexander's empire broke up shortly after his death, and Alexander's general, Seleucus I Nicator, tried to take control of Iran, Mesopotamia, and later Syria and Anatolia. His empire was the Seleucid Empire.
The Parthian and Sasanian EmpiresEdit
The Arsacids of Parthia,Template:Sfn initially Seleucid vassals,Template:Sfn originated as leaders of the IranianTemplate:Efn Parni tribe in the northeastern steppes.Template:Sfn The Parthians gradually challenged Seleucid rule over Iran.Template:Sfn Parthian control of Iran was secured through the Template:Circa 142 BC conquest of Babylonia.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Although fighting continued for years, the death of Antiochus VII Sidetes in 129 BC effectively marked the collapse of the Seleucid Empire,Template:Sfn which then lingered on as a rump state in Syria until conquered by the Roman Empire in the 60s BC.Template:Sfn
The Parthian empire endured for five centuries, but frequent civil wars destabilized it. Parthian power evaporated when Ardashir I, ruler of Istakhr in Persis, revolted against the Arsacids and killed their last ruler, Artabanus IV, in 224 AD. Ardashir established the Sasanian Empire, which ruled Iran and much of the Near East until the Muslim conquests of the 7th century AD.
At their zenith, the Sasanians controlled all of modern-day Iran and Iraq and parts of the Arabian Peninsula (particularly Eastern Arabia and South Arabia), as well as the Caucasus, the Levant, and parts of Central Asia and South Asia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> One of the high points in the history of Iranian civilization,<ref>Hourani, p. 87.</ref>Template:Full citation needed the Sasanian Empire was characterized by a complex and centralized government bureaucracy and the revitalization of Zoroastrianism as a legitimizing and unifying ideal.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This period saw the construction of many grand monuments, public works, and patronized cultural and educational institutions. Under the Sasanians, Iran's cultural influence spread far beyond the physical territory that it controlled, impacting regions as distant as Western Europe,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Eastern Africa,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and China and India.<ref>Sarfaraz, pp. 329–330</ref>Template:Full citation needed
Medieval periodEdit
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Most of the Sasanian Empire's lifespan was overshadowed by the frequent Byzantine–Sasanian wars, a continuation of the Roman–Parthian Wars. These wars weakened the empire and contributed to the Islamic conquest of Persia. The Rashidun Caliphate conquered the Sasanian Empire between 632 and 654.
Over time, the majority of Iranians converted to Islam. Most of the aspects of the previous Persian civilizations were not discarded but were absorbed by the new Islamic polity. As Bernard Lewis has commented:
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Early Islamic rule and regional resistance in IranEdit
After the fall of the Sasanian Empire in 651, the Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate adopted many Persian customs, especially the administrative and the court mannerisms. Arab provincial governors were undoubtedly either Persianized Arameans or ethnic Persians; certainly Persian remained the language of official business of the caliphate until the adoption of Arabic toward the end of the seventh century.<ref>Hawting G., The First Dynasty of Islam. The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661–750, (London) 1986, pp. 63–64</ref>
However, all of Iran was still not under Arab control, and the region of Daylam was under the control of the Daylamites, while Tabaristan was under Dabuyid and Paduspanid control, and the Mount Damavand region under Masmughans of Damavand. The Arabs had invaded these regions several times but achieved no decisive result because of the inaccessible terrain of the regions. The most prominent ruler of the Dabuyids, known as Farrukhan the Great (r. 712–728), managed to hold his domains during his long struggle against the Arab general Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, who was defeated by a combined Dayamite–Dabuyid army, and was forced to retreat from Tabaristan.<ref>Pourshariati (2008), pp. 312–313</ref>Template:Full citation needed
The Abbasid Revolution and Iranian RenaissanceEdit
Anti-Umayyad insurrections were to a large degree supported by non-Arab converts to Islam (especially Iranians) who were resentful over being relegated to lower social standing. In 747–750, one of these insurrections grew into the Abbasid revolution, in which the Umayyads were replaced with the Abbasids, descendants of Muhammad's uncle, Abbas.Template:Sfn
The political authority of the Abbasid caliphs diminished over the course of the ninth and tenth centuries.Template:Sfn In Iran, this led to the establishment of several independent Iranian dynasties,Template:Sfn the ousting of Arabs from their scattered bastions across the country, and an Iranian cultural renaissance.Template:Sfn The period between the collapse of Abbasid authority and the conquest of Iran by the Seljuk Turks in the eleventh century is referred to as the "Iranian Intermezzo".Template:Sfn
The Iranian Intermezzo saw the rise and fall of several major and minor dynasties.Template:Sfn Among the most important of these overlapping dynasties were the Tahirids in Khorasan (821–873); the Saffarids in Sistan (861–1003, their rule lasted as maliks of Sistan until 1537); and the Samanids (819–1005), originally at Bukhara. The Samanids eventually ruled an area from central Iran to Pakistan.
By the early 10th century, the Abbasids almost lost control to the growing Iranian faction known as the Buyid dynasty (934–1062). Since much of the Abbasid administration had been Persian anyway, the Buyids were quietly able to assume real power in Baghdad. The Buyids were defeated in the mid-11th century by the Seljuq Turks, who continued to exert influence over the Abbasids, while publicly pledging allegiance to them.
Islamization and PersianizationEdit
Islamization was a long process by which Islam was gradually adopted by the majority population of Iran. As Persian Muslims consolidated their rule of the country, the Muslim population rose from approximately 40% in the mid-9th century to close to 90% by the end of the 11th century. Seyyed Hossein Nasr suggests that the rapid increase in conversion was aided by the Persian nationality of the rulers.<ref>Nasr, Hoseyn; Islam and the pliqht of modern man</ref> Although Persians adopted the religion of their conquerors, over the centuries they worked to protect and revive their distinctive language and culture, a process known as Persianization. Arabs and Turks participated in this attempt.<ref name="britannica2">Encyclopædia Britannica, "Seljuq", Online Edition, (LINK Template:Webarchive)</ref><ref>Richard Frye, The Heritage of Persia, p. 243.</ref><ref>Rayhanat al- adab, (3rd ed.), vol. 1, p. 181.</ref>
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The Seljuks and the Mongol invasionsEdit
From the empire's inception, the Seljuk rulers minted coins with the title šāhānšāh (Template:Literal translation) in its Persian form,Template:Sfn perhaps adopting it from the Buyids.Template:Sfn The Seljuk Empire fractured after the death of Ahmad Sanjar in 1157 and its vassals became effectively independent.Template:Sfn One of these vassals was the Anushtegin dynasty, which ruled the Khwarazm region. The ruling dynasty were descendants of Anushtegin Gharchai, a former Turkic slave of the Seljuq sultans.Template:Sfn In 1194, the Khwarazmian ruler Tekish conquered western Iran and Iraq from the remnants of the Seljuk Empire.Template:Sfn The Khwarazmian rulers used the ancient title xwârazmšāh, traditionally held by Iranian rulers of Khwarazm.Template:Sfn Urganj was the Khwarazmian capital.Template:Sfn
In the early thirteenth century, the Mongols reached Iran. The region around Bukhara was conquered in 1220Template:Sfn and the Khwarazmian Empire was destroyed.Template:Sfn Over the following decades, further conquests followed in the Middle East, culminating in the fall of Baghdad and end of the Abbasid Caliphate's rule there in 1258.Template:Sfn
The Ilkhanate and aftermathEdit
After the death of Möngke Khan, the Mongol Empire was fractured by civil war, both over the succession of the next Great Khan and between nomadic traditionalists and the new settled princes of China and the Middle East. Kublai Khan (1260–1294) was eventually universally recognized but the empire was irreversibly fragmented.Template:Sfn In much of the south-west of the empire (including Iran), power fell to Hulegu Khan,Template:Sfn who had been made a deputy there under Möngke Khan.Template:Sfn Hulegu was swiftly accepted as a legitimate ruler in Iran and was further legitimized through a fatwa issued by the Shia scholar Ali ibn Tawus al-Hilli.Template:Sfn Iran experienced a cultural renaissance under Ilkhanid rule.Template:Sfn Ghazan Khan (1295–1304) converted to Islam in the late thirteenth century, turning the state further away from the other Mongol realms.Template:Sfn
After Ghazan's nephew Abu Said died in 1335, however, the Ilkhanate lapsed into civil war and was divided between several petty dynasties – most prominently the Jalayirids, Muzaffarids, Sarbadars and Kartids. The mid-14th-century Black Death killed about 30% of the country's population.<ref>Q&A with John Kelly on The Great Mortality on National Review Online Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Timur and the rise of new powersEdit
Iran remained divided until the arrival of Timur, a Turco-Mongol<ref>Peter B. Golden Central Asia in World History (New Oxford World History) (Oxford University Press, 2011), page 94: "He was born some 100 km (62 miles) south of Samarkand into a clan of the Barlas, a Turkicized tribe of Mongol descent."</ref> belonging to the Timurid dynasty. Like its predecessors, the Timurid Empire was also part of the Persianate world. After establishing a power base in Transoxiana, Timur invaded Iran in 1381 and eventually conquered most of it. Timur's campaigns were known for their brutality; many people were slaughtered and several cities were destroyed.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov">This section incorporates text from the public domain Library of Congress Country Studies.
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His successors, the Timurids, maintained a hold on most of Iran until 1452, when they lost the bulk of Qara Qoyunlu. The Black Sheep Turkmen were conquered by the Aq Qoyunlu under Uzun Hasan in 1468; Uzun Hasan and his successors were the masters of Iran until the rise of the Safavids.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov"/>
Early modern periodEdit
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The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran, and "is often considered the beginning of modern Persian history".<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> They ruled one of the greatest Iranian empires after the Muslim conquest of Persia<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:PbTemplate:Cite bookTemplate:PbTemplate:Cite bookTemplate:PbAndrew J. Newman, Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire, I.B. Tauris (30 March 2006).</ref> and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning points in Muslim history. The Safavids ruled from 1501 to 1722 (experiencing a brief restoration from 1729 to 1736) and at their height, they controlled all of modern Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia, most of Georgia, the North Caucasus, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, as well as parts of Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Safavid Iran was one of the Islamic "gunpowder empires", along with its neighbours, its archrival and principal enemy the Ottoman Empire, and to the east, the Mughal Empire.
The Safavid state was one of checks and balance, both within the government and on a local level. At the apex of this system was the Shah, with total power over the state, legitimized by his bloodline as a sayyid, or descendant of Muhammad. So absolute was his power, that the French merchant, and later ambassador to Iran, Jean Chardin thought the Safavid Shahs ruled their land with an iron fist and often in a despotic manner.<ref>Ferrier, R. W.; A Journey to Persia: Jean Chardin's Portrait of a Seventeenth-century Empire; pp. 71–71.</ref>
Collapse of the Safavid Empire and successor dynastiesEdit
Complex rivalries in the region of Khorasan led to the Afghan Hotak dynasty invading Iran. In 1722, this conflict led to the collapse of the Safavid Empire after the siege of Isfahan.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The brief interlude between 1722 and the rise of the Qajar dynasty in 1789–1796 was marked by widespread political turmoil in Iran and several rival attempts to establish power over the country. The Safavids failed to regain power and the Hotaks failed to establish control. The rival Afsharid and Zand dynasties were established by Nader Shah (1736–1747) and Karim Khan (1751–1779), respectively.Template:Sfn
Nader Shah and the shifting balance of powerEdit
Nader Shah has been described as "the last great Asiatic military conqueror".<ref>Cambridge History of Iran Vol. 7, p. 59.</ref> Some historians have described him as the Napoleon of Persia, the Sword of Persia,Template:Sfn or the Second Alexander. His numerous campaigns created a great empire that, at its maximum extent, briefly encompassed all or part of modern-day Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Oman, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, the North Caucasus, and the Persian Gulf, but his military spending had a ruinous effect on the Iranian economy.Template:Sfn
Nader Shah's death was followed by a period of anarchy in Iran as rival army commanders fought for power. Nader's own family, the Afsharids, were soon reduced to holding on to a small domain in Khorasan. The Zand family seized control of much of Iran in the 1750s.Template:Sfn Established by the tribal leader Karim Khan Zand, the Zand rulers never proclaimed themselves to be shahs.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Instead, they presented themselves as regents of Iran, at first on behalf of the Safavid puppet Ismail III (1750–1773) and then on behalf of the Iranian people.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Rise of the Qajar dynasty and foreign interferenceEdit
The Qajar dynasty originated as a local TurkomanTemplate:Sfn noble family in northern Iran, under the Safavids.Template:Sfn The Qajars gradually increased in power as other families fought each other in Iran, culminating in Agha Mohammad Shah proclaiming himself ruler in 1789, in opposition to the Afsharids and Zands.Template:Sfn Agha Mohammad defeated the Zand dynasty in 1794Template:Sfn and was officially crowned in 1796.Template:Sfn Shortly thereafter, he captured and deposed the Afsharid Shahrokh Shah, reunifying Iran under a single ruler.Template:Sfn
In the 19th century, Iran lost significant territories in the Caucasus to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Persian Wars.<ref name="books.google.nl1">Template:Cite book</ref> At the same time, Britain became increasingly involved in southern Iran, wishing to provide a counterweight to Russia's presence in the north, which posed a threat to British India.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This was solidified by the establishment of the Indo-European Telegraph Department in the 1860s; and the Imperial Bank of Persia by an English company in 1889.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> By the end of the 19th century, this dominance had become so pronounced that Iran's central government in Tehran required Anglo-Russian approval for ministerial appointments.<ref name=":4" />
20th CenturyEdit
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Constitutional Revolution and the rise of the Pahlavi dynastyEdit
The Persian Constitutional Revolution between 1905 and 1911 led to the establishment of an Iranian parliament.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the 1921 coup d'état, the Qajar dynasty was replaced with the Pahlavi dynasty.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Reza Shah ruled for almost 16 years until 16 September 1941, when he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. He established an authoritarian government that valued nationalism, militarism, secularism and anti-communism combined with strict censorship and state propaganda.<ref>Michael P. Zirinsky; "Imperial Power and Dictatorship: Britain and the Rise of Reza Shah, 1921–1926", International Journal of Middle East Studies 24 (1992), 639–663, Cambridge University Press</ref> Reza Shah introduced many socio-economic reforms, reorganizing the army, government administration, and finances.<ref name="Columbia_Encyclopedia">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
To his supporters, his reign brought "law and order, discipline, central authority, and modern amenities – schools, trains, buses, radios, cinemas, and telephones".<ref name="Ervand, 2008 p.91">Ervand, History of Modern Iran, (2008), p.91</ref> However, his attempts of modernisation have been criticised for being "too fast"<ref>The Origins of the Iranian Revolution by Roger Homan. International Affairs, Vol. 56, No. 4 (Autumn, 1980), pp. 673–677.Template:JSTOR</ref> and "superficial",<ref>Richard W. Cottam, Nationalism in Iran, University of Pittsburgh Press, ISBN o-8229-3396-7</ref> and his reign a time of "oppression, corruption, taxation, lack of authenticity" with "security typical of police states."<ref name="Ervand, 2008 p.91"/>
World War II and post-occupation instabilityEdit
While German armies were highly successful against the Soviet Union, the Iranian government expected Germany to win the war and establish a powerful force on its borders. It rejected British and Soviet demands to expel German residents from Iran. In response, the two Allies invaded in August 1941 and easily overwhelmed the weak Iranian army in Operation Countenance. Iran became the major conduit of Allied Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union. The purpose was to secure Iranian oil fields and ensure Allied supply lines (see Persian Corridor). Iran remained officially neutral. Rezā Shāh was deposed during the subsequent occupation and replaced with his young son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.<ref>Richard Stewart, Sunrise at Abadan: the British and Soviet invasion of Iran, 1941 (1988).</ref>
Initially, there were hopes that post-occupation Iran could become a constitutional monarchy. The new, young Shah took a very hands-off role in government, and allowed parliament to hold a lot of power. Some elections were held in the first shaky years, although they remained mired in corruption. Parliament became chronically unstable, and from the 1947 to 1951 period Iran saw the rise and fall of six different prime ministers.
Mosaddeq and the 1953 coupEdit
In 1951, Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq received the vote required from the parliament to nationalize the British-owned oil industry, in a situation known as the Abadan Crisis. Despite British pressure, including an economic blockade, the nationalization continued. Mosaddeq was briefly removed from power in 1952 but was quickly re-appointed by the Shah, due to a popular uprising in support of the premier, and he, in turn, forced the Shah into a brief exile in August 1953 after a failed military coup by Imperial Guard Colonel Nematollah Nassiri.
Shortly thereafter on 19 August a successful coup was headed by retired army general Fazlollah Zahedi, aided by the United States (CIA)<ref name=BBC>Template:Cite news</ref> with the active support of the British (MI6) (known as Operation Ajax and Operation Boot to the respective agencies).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The coup—with a black propaganda campaign designed to turn the population against Mosaddeq<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> — forced Mosaddeq from office. Mosaddeq was arrested and tried for treason. Found guilty, his sentence was reduced to house arrest on his family estate while his foreign minister, Hossein Fatemi, was executed. Zahedi succeeded him as prime minister, and suppressed opposition to the Shah, specifically the National Front and Communist Tudeh Party.
The Shah's Rule and the Islamic RevolutionEdit
Iran was ruled as an autocracy under the Shah with American support from that time until the revolution. Iran initiated a series of economic, social, agrarian and administrative reforms to modernize the country that became known as the Shah's White Revolution.
The Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution,<ref name = "Chamber">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was the revolution that transformed Iran from an absolute monarchy to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, one of the leaders of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and concluded with the approval of the new theocratic Constitution—whereby Ayatollah Khomeini became Supreme Leader of the country—in December 1979.<ref name="Britannica Khomeini">Template:Cite encyclopaedia</ref> Iran's rapidly modernising, capitalist economy was replaced by populist and Islamic economic and cultural policies. Much industry was nationalized, laws and schools Islamicized, and Western influences banned.
War and leadership transitionEdit
Khomeini served as leader of the revolution or as Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to his death on 3 June 1989. An early event in the history of the Islamic republic that had a long-term impact was the Iran hostage crisis. Following the admission of the former Shah of Iran into the United States for cancer treatment, on 4 November 1979, Iranian students seized US embassy personnel, labeling the embassy a "den of spies."<ref name="carterpbs">PBS, American Experience, Jimmy Carter, "444 Days: America Reacts" Template:Webarchive, retrieved 1 October 2007</ref> Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days until January 1981.<ref>Guests of the Ayatollah: The Iran Hostage Crisis: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam, Mark Bowden, p. 127, 200</ref>
During this political and social crisis, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein attempted to take advantage of the disorder of the Revolution, the weakness of the Iranian military and the revolution's antagonism with Western governments. On 22 September 1980, the Iraqi army invaded Iran at Khuzestan, precipitating the Iran–Iraq War. The attack took revolutionary Iran completely by surprise.
Although Saddam Hussein's forces made several early advances, Iranian forces had pushed the Iraqi army back into Iraq by 1982. Khomeini sought to export his Islamic revolution westward into Iraq, especially on the majority Shi'a Arabs living in the country. The war then continued for six more years until 1988, when Khomeini, in his words, "drank the cup of poison" and accepted a truce mediated by the United Nations.
On his deathbed in 1989, Khomeini appointed a 25-man Constitutional Reform Council which named then president Ali Khamenei as the next Supreme Leader, and made a number of changes to Iran's constitution.<ref>Abrahamian, History of Modern Iran, (2008), p.182</ref> A smooth transition followed Khomeini's death on 3 June 1989. While Khamenei lacked Khomeini's "charisma and clerical standing", he developed a network of supporters within Iran's armed forces and its economically powerful religious foundations.<ref name="ReferenceA">"Who's in Charge?" by Ervand Abrahamian London Review of Books, 6 November 2008</ref>
Since the 1990sEdit
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In 1989, President Akbar Rafsanjani concentrated on a pro-business policy of rebuilding the economy without breaking with the ideology of the revolution. He supported a free market domestically, favouring privatisation of state industries and a moderate position internationally. In 1997, Rafsanjani was succeeded by moderate reformist Mohammad Khatami, whose government advocated freedom of expression, constructive diplomatic relations with Asia and the European Union, and an economic policy that supported a free market and foreign investment.
The 2005 presidential election brought conservative populist and nationalist candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. He was known for his hardline views, nuclearisation, and hostility towards Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UK, the US and other states. He was the first president to be summoned by the parliament to answer questions regarding his presidency.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, centrist and reformist Hassan Rouhani was elected president. In domestic policy, he encouraged personal freedom, free access to information, and improved women's rights. He improved Iran's diplomatic relations through exchanging conciliatory letters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached in Vienna in 2015, between Iran, the P5+1 (UN Security Council + Germany) and the EU. The negotiations centred around ending the economic sanctions in exchange for Iran's restriction in producing enriched uranium.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2018, however, the US under Trump Administration withdrew from the deal and new sanctions were imposed. This nulled the economic provisions, left the agreement in jeopardy, and brought Iran to nuclear threshold status.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, IRGC general, Qasem Soleimani, the 2nd-most powerful person in Iran,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was assassinated by the US, heightening tensions between them.<ref name="Roelants">Carolien Roelants, Iran expert of NRC Handelsblad, in a debate on Buitenhof on Dutch television, 5 January 2020.</ref> Iran retaliated against US airbases in Iraq, the largest ballistic missile attack ever on Americans;<ref>Template:Citation</ref> 110 sustained brain injuries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi ran for president again in 2021, succeeding Hassan Rouhani.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During Raisi's term, Iran intensified uranium enrichment, hindered international inspections, joined SCO and BRICS, supported Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and restored diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. In April 2024, Israel's airstrike on an Iranian consulate, killed an IRGC commander.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran retaliated with UAVs, cruise and ballistic missiles; 9 hit Israel.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Western and Jordanian military helped Israel down some Iranian drones.<ref name="Borger">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was the largest drone strike in history,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> biggest missile attack in Iranian history,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> its first ever direct attack on Israel<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the first time since 1991, Israel was directly attacked by a state force.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This occurred during heightened tensions amid the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. In May 2024, President Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Iran held a presidential election in June, when reformist and former Minister of Health, Masoud Pezeshkian, was elected to office.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 1 October 2024, Iran launched about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan. On 27 October, Israel responded to that attack by strikes on a missile defence system in the Iranian region of Isfahan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
GeographyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See alsoTemplate:Multiple image Iran has an area of Template:Convert. It is the sixth-largest country entirely in Asia and the second-largest in West Asia.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It lies between latitudes 24° and 40° N, and longitudes 44° and 64° E. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia (Template:Convert), the Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan (Template:Convert),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Republic of Azerbaijan (Template:Convert); to the north by the Caspian Sea; to the northeast by Turkmenistan (Template:Convert); to the east by Afghanistan (Template:Convert) and Pakistan (Template:Convert); to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; and to the west by Iraq (Template:Convert) and Turkey (Template:Convert).
Iran is in a seismically active area.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On average, an earthquake of magnitude seven on the Richter scale occurs once every ten years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Most earthquakes are shallow-focus and can be very devastating, such as the 2003 Bam earthquake.
Iran consists of the Iranian Plateau. It is one of the world's most mountainous countries; its landscape is dominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate basins or plateaus. The populous west part is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the Caucasus, Zagros, and Alborz, the last containing Mount Damavand, Iran's highest point, at Template:Convert, which is the highest volcano in Asia. Iran's mountains have impacted its politics and economics for centuries.
The north part is covered by the lush lowland Caspian Hyrcanian forests, near the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. The east part consists mostly of desert basins, such as the Kavir Desert, which is the country's largest desert, and the Lut Desert, as well as salt lakes. The Lut Desert is the hottest recorded spot on the Earth's surface, with 70.7 °C recorded in 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The only large plains are found along the coast of the Caspian and at the north end of the Persian Gulf, where the country borders the mouth of the Arvand river. Smaller, discontinuous plains are found along the remaining coast of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
IslandsEdit
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Iranian islands are mainly located in the Persian Gulf. Iran has 102 islands in Urmia Lake, 427 in Aras River, several in Anzali Lagoon, Ashurade Island in the Caspian Sea, Sheytan Island in the Oman Sea and other inland islands. Iran has an uninhabited island at the far end of the Gulf of Oman, near Pakistan. A few islands can be visited by tourists. Most are owned by the military or used for wildlife protection, and entry is prohibited or requires a permit.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran took control of Bumusa, and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs in 1971, in the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Despite the islands being small and having little natural resources or population, they are highly valuable for their strategic location.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although the United Arab Emirates claims sovereignty,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> it has consistently been met with a strong response from Iran,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> based on their historical and cultural background.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has full control over the islands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Kish island, as a free trade zone, is touted as a consumer's paradise, with malls, shopping centres, tourist attractions, and luxury hotels. Qeshm is the largest island in Iran, and a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> Its salt cave, Namakdan, is the largest in the world, and one of the world's longest caves.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ClimateEdit
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Iran's climate is diverse, ranging from arid and semi-arid, to subtropical along the Caspian coast and northern forests.<ref name="HaftlangLang2003">Template:Cite book</ref> On the north edge of the country, temperatures rarely fall below freezing and the area remains humid. Summer temperatures rarely exceed Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Annual precipitation is Template:Convert in the east part of the plain and more than Template:Convert in the west part. The UN Resident Coordinator for Iran, has said that "Water scarcity poses the most severe human security challenge in Iran today".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
To the west, settlements in the Zagros basin experience lower temperatures, severe winters with freezing average daily temperatures and heavy snowfall. The east and central basins are arid, with less than Template:Convert of rain and have occasional deserts.<ref name="Nicholson2011">Template:Cite book</ref> Average summer temperatures rarely exceed Template:Convert. The southern coastal plains of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman have mild winters, and very humid and hot summers. The annual precipitation ranges from Template:Convert.<ref name="Nagarajan2010">Template:Cite book</ref>
BiodiversityEdit
More than one-tenth of the country is forested.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> About 120 million hectares of forests and fields are government-owned for national exploitation.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Iran's forests can be divided into five vegetation regions: Hyrcanian region which forms the green belt of the north side of the country; the Turan region, which are mainly scattered in the centre of Iran; Zagros region, which mainly contains oak forests in the west; the Persian Gulf region, which is scattered in the southern coastal belt; the Arasbarani region, which contains rare and unique species. More than 8,200 plant species are grown. The land covered by natural flora is four times that of Europe's.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are over 200 protected areas to preserve biodiversity and wildlife, with over 30 being national parks.
Iran's living fauna includes 34 bat species, Indian grey mongoose, small Indian mongoose, golden jackal, Indian wolf, foxes, striped hyena, leopard, Eurasian lynx, brown bear and Asian black bear. Ungulate species include wild boar, urial, Armenian mouflon, red deer, and goitered gazelle.<ref name="Fast2005">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Firouz2005">Template:Cite book</ref> One of the most famous animals is the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, which survives only in Iran. Iran lost all its Asiatic lions and the extinct Caspian tigers by the early 20th century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Domestic ungulates are represented by sheep, goat, cattle, horse, water buffalo, donkey and camel. Iran is home to more than 570 bird species like pheasant, partridge, stork, eagles and falcons.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Government and politicsEdit
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Supreme LeaderEdit
Supreme Leader (Template:Langx), the Rahbar, the Leader of the Revolution or Supreme Leadership Authority, is the head of state and responsible for supervision of policy. The president has limited power compared to the Rahbar. Key ministers are selected with the Rahbar's agreement, who has the ultimate say on foreign policy.<ref name="reuters.com">Template:Cite news</ref> The Rahbar is directly involved in ministerial appointments for Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, and other top ministries after submission of candidates from the president.
The Rahbar directly controls regional policy, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tasks limited to protocol and ceremonial occasions. Ambassadors to Arab countries, for example, are chosen by the Quds Force, which reports to the Rahbar.<ref name="english.aawsat.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Rahbar can order laws to be amended.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Setad, a state-owned enterprise under the Rahbar, was valued at $95bn in 2013, accounts of which are secret even to the parliament.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SetadWins">Template:Cite news</ref>
The Rahbar is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, controls military intelligence and security operations, and has the sole power to declare war or peace. The Rahbar also appoints the heads of the judiciary, state radio and television networks, commanders of the police and military, and members of the Guardian Council.
The Assembly of Experts is responsible for electing the Rahbar and has the power to dismiss him on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem.<ref name="loc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To date, the Assembly of Experts has not challenged any of the Rahbar's decisions nor attempted to dismiss him. The previous head of the judicial system, Sadeq Larijani, appointed by the Rahbar, said that it is illegal for the Assembly of Experts to supervise the Rahbar.<ref name="Al-awsat">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many believe the Assembly of Experts has become a ceremonial body without any real power.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In February 2025, The New York Times reported that according to Karim Sadjadpour, an expert on Iran at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, there exist in the Islamic Republic of Iran two parallel regimes.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> One which is ruled by the military and intelligence forces, who report to the Rahbar, and "who oversee the nuclear programme and regional proxies and are tasked with repression, hostage taking and assassinations”.<ref name=":3" /> The other ruled by diplomats and politicians "who are authorized to speak to Western media and officials" and have minimal knowledge of Iran's nuclear programme.<ref name=":3" />
The political system is based on the country's constitution.<ref name="servcons">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran ranked 154th in the 2022 The Economist Democracy Index.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Juan José Linz wrote in 2000 that "the Iranian regime combines the ideological bent of totalitarianism with the limited pluralism of authoritarianism".<ref>Juan José Linz, Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes Template:Webarchive (Lynne Rienner, 2000), p. 36.</ref>
PresidentEdit
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The President is head of government and the second-highest-ranking authority after the Supreme Leader. The President is elected by universal suffrage for 4 years. Before elections, nominees to become a presidential candidate must be approved by the Guardian Council.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Council's members are chosen by the Leader, with the Leader having the power to dismiss the president.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The President can only be re-elected for one term.<ref name="photius">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The president is the deputy commander-in-chief of the Army, the head of Supreme National Security Council, and has the power to declare a state of emergency after passage by the parliament.
The President is responsible for the implementation of the constitution, and for the exercise of executive powers in implementing the decrees and general policies as outlined by the Rahbar, except for matters directly related to the Rahbar, who has the final say.<ref name="leader">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The President functions as the executive of affairs such as signing treaties and other international agreements, and administering national planning, budget, and state employment affairs, all as approved by the Rahbar.<ref name="Middle East Eye">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="en.iranwire.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The President appoints ministers, subject to the approval of the Parliament and the Rahbar, who can dismiss or reinstate any minister.<ref name="stalbertgazette.com">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The President supervises the Council of Ministers, coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before the legislature.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Eight Vice Presidents serve under the President, as well as a cabinet of 22 ministers, all appointed by the president.<ref name="Judiciary">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Guardian CouncilEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Presidential and parliamentary candidates must be approved by the 12-member Guardian Council (all members of which are appointed by the Leader) or the Leader before running to ensure their allegiance.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Leader rarely does the vetting, but has the power to do so, in which case additional approval of the Guardian Council is not needed. The Leader can revert the decisions of the Guardian Council.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The constitution gives the council three mandates: veto power over legislation passed by the parliament,<ref>Article 98 of the constitution</ref><ref>Articles 96 and 94 of the constitution.</ref> supervision of elections<ref name="IDP">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and approving or disqualifying candidates seeking to run in local, parliamentary, presidential, or Assembly of Experts elections.<ref name="Article 99 of the constitution">Article 99 of the constitution</ref> The council can nullify a law based on two accounts: being against sharia (Islamic law), or being against the constitution.<ref name=":7">Article 4 Template:Webarchive</ref>
Supreme National Security CouncilEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) is at the top of the foreign policy decisions process.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The council was formed during the 1989 Iranian constitutional referendum for the protection and support of national interests, the revolution, territorial integrity and national sovereignty.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is mandated by Article 176 of the Constitution to be presided over by the President.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The leader selects the secretary of the Supreme Council, and the council's decisions are effective after the leader confirms them. The SNSC formulates nuclear policy, and would become effective if the Leader confirms them.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
LegislatureEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See alsoTemplate:Multiple image The legislature, known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly (ICA), Iranian Parliament or "Majles", is a unicameral body comprising 290 members elected for four years.<ref name="Majlis">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties, and approves the national budget. All parliamentary candidates and legislation from the assembly must be approved by the Guardian Council.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>IRANIAN LEGISLATURE APPROVES FUNDS FOR GASOLINE IMPORTS Template:Webarchive provides an example the need for approval of the Guardian Council.</ref> The Guardian Council can and has dismissed elected members of the parliament.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The parliament has no legal status without the Guardian Council, and the Council holds absolute veto power over legislation.<ref name="Archived copy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Expediency Discernment Council has the authority to mediate disputes between Parliament and the Guardian Council. It serves as an advisory body to the Supreme Leader, making it one of Iran's most powerful governing bodies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":7" />
The Parliament has 207 constituencies, including the 5 reserved seats for religious minorities. The remaining 202 are territorial, covering one or more of Iran's counties.
LawEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Iran uses the sharia law (based on Ja'fari school) as its legal system, with elements of Civil law. The Supreme Leader appoints the head of the Supreme Court and chief public prosecutor. There are several types of courts, including public courts that deal with civil and criminal cases, and revolutionary courts, which deal with certain offenses, such as crimes against national security. The decisions of the revolutionary courts are final and cannot be appealed.
The Chief Justice heads the judicial system and is responsible for its administration and supervision. He is the highest judge of the Supreme Court of Iran. The Chief Justice nominates candidates to serve as minister of justice, and the President selects one. The Chief Justice can serve for two five-year terms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Special Clerical Court handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics, although it has taken on cases involving laypeople. The Special Clerical Court functions independently of the regular judicial framework and is accountable only to the Rahbar. The Court's rulings are final and cannot be appealed.<ref name="Judiciary"/> The Assembly of Experts, which meets for one week annually, comprises 86 "virtuous and learned" clerics elected by adult suffrage for 8-year terms.
Administrative divisionsEdit
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Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces (Template:Langx ostân), each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (Persian: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, markaz) of that province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ostândâr), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to the approval of the cabinet.<ref name="govgen">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Foreign relationsEdit
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Iran maintains diplomatic relations with 165 countries, but not the United States and Israel—a state which Iran derecognised in 1979.<ref name="MousavianShahidsaless2014">Template:Cite book</ref>
Iran has an adversarial relationship with Saudi Arabia due to different political ideologies. Iran and Turkey have been involved in modern proxy conflicts such as in Syria, Libya, and the South Caucasus.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> However, they have shared common interests, such as the issue of Kurdish separatism and the Qatar diplomatic crisis.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has a close and strong relationship with Tajikistan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran formed the Axis of Resistance, it unites actors committed to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the region.<ref name="Hubbard-2024">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="AlKassab-2023">Template:Cite news</ref> It most notably includes the Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Resistance and Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, and the Houthi movement in Yemen.Template:Efn It sometimes<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> includes Hamas,Template:Efn and a variety of other Palestinian militant groups.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Iran has deep economic relations and alliance with Iraq, Lebanon, and was with Syria, which was described as Iran's "closest ally".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In December 2024, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a close ally of Iran, was a severe setback for the political influence of Iran in the region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Russia is a key trading partner, especially in regard to its excess oil reserves.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Both share a close economic and military alliance, and are subject to heavy sanctions by Western nations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran is the only country in Western Asia that has been invited to join the CSTO, the Russia-based international treaty organisation that parallels NATO.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Relations between Iran and China are strong economically; they have developed a friendly, economic and strategic relationship. In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement that will strengthen the relations between the two countries and would include "political, strategic and economic" components.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran-China relations dates back to at least 200 BC and possibly earlier.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Iran is one of the few countries in the world that has a good relationship with both North and South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Iran is a member of dozens of international organisations, including the G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, IDA, NAM, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, OIC, OPEC, WHO, and the UN, and currently has observer status at the WTO.
MilitaryEdit
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The military is organised under a unified structure, the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, which includes the Ground Forces, Air Defence Force, Air Force, and Navy; the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which consists of the Ground Forces, Aerospace Force, Navy, Quds Force, and Basij; and the Police Command (Faraja), which serves an analogous function to a gendarme. While the IRIAF protects the country's sovereignty in a traditional capacity, the IRGC is mandated to ensure the integrity of the Republic against foreign interference, coups, and internal riots.<ref>"Profile: Iran's Revolutionary Guards" Template:Webarchive. BBC News. 18 October 2009.</ref> Since 1925, all male citizens aged 18 must serve around 14 months in the IRIAF or IRGC.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran has over 610,000 active troops and around 350,000 reservists, totalling over 1 million military personnel, one of the world's highest percentage of citizens with military training.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Basij, a paramilitary volunteer militia within the IRGC, has over 20 million members, 600,000 available for immediate call-up, 300,000 reservists, and a million that could be mobilised when necessary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Faraja, the Iranian uniformed police force, has over 260,000 active personnel. Most statistical organizations do not include the Basij and Faraja in their rating reports.
Excluding the Basij and Faraja, Iran has been identified as a major military power due to its armed forces' size and capabilities. It possesses the world's 14th-strongest military.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It ranks 13th globally in terms of overall military strength, 7th in the number of active military personnel,<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 9th in the size of both its ground force and armoured force. Iran's armed forces are the largest in West Asia and comprise the greatest Army Aviation fleet in the Middle East.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran is among the top 15 countries in terms of military budget.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2021, its military spending increased for the first time in four years, to $24.6 billion, 2.3% of the national GDP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Funding for the IRGC accounted for 34% of Iran's total military spending in 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Since the Revolution, to overcome foreign embargoes, Iran has developed a domestic military industry capable of producing indigenous tanks, armoured personnel carriers, missiles, submarines, missile destroyer, radar systems, helicopters, naval vessels, and fighter planes.<ref name="AskariMohseni2010">Template:Cite book</ref> Official announcements have highlighted the development of advanced weaponry, particularly in rocketry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Efn Consequently, Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East and is only the 5th country in the world with hypersonic missile technology.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>"Are the Iran nuclear talks heading for a deal?" Template:Webarchive. BBC News Online. Retrieved: 4 August 2016.</ref> It is the world's 6th missile power.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran designs and produces a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is considered a global leader and superpower in drone warfare and technology.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It is one of the world's five countries with cyberwarfare capabilities and is identified as "one of the most active players in the international cyber arena".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran is an key exporter of arms since 2000s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Following Russia's purchase of Iranian drones during the invasion of Ukraine,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in November 2023, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) finalized arrangements to acquire Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, air defence and missile systems.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Iranian Navy has had joint exercises with Russia and China.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Nuclear programmeEdit
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Iran's nuclear programme dates back to the 1950s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran revived it after the Revolution, and its extensive nuclear fuel cycle, including enrichment capabilities, became the subject of intense international negotiations and sanctions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many countries have expressed concern Iran could divert civilian nuclear technology into a weapons programme.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2015, Iran and the P5+1 agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan on Action (JCPOA), aiming to end economic sanctions in exchange for restriction in producing enriched uranium.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2018, however, the US withdrew from the deal under the Trump administration and reimposed sanctions. This was met with resistance by Iran and other members of the P5+1.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A year later, Iran began decreasing its compliance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By 2020, Iran announced it would no longer observe any limit set by the agreement.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Progress since then has brought Iran to the nuclear threshold status.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:As of, Iran had uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile content, close to weapon grade.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some analysts already regard Iran as a de facto nuclear power.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Regional influenceEdit
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Iran's significant influence and foothold are sometimes characterized as the "Dawn of A New Persian Empire."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some analysts associate the Iranian influence to the nation's proud national legacy, empire and history.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Since the Revolution, Iran has grown its influence across and beyond the region.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has built military forces with a wide network of state and none-state actors, starting with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The IRGC has been key to Iranian influence, through its Quds Force.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="auto10">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The instability in Lebanon (from the 1980s),<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Iraq (from 2003)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Yemen (from 2014)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> has allowed Iran to build strong alliances and footholds beyond its borders. Iran has a prominent influence in the social services, education, economy and politics of Lebanon,<ref name="auto3">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Lebanon provides Iran access to the Mediterranean Sea.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hezbollah's strategic successes against Israel, such as its symbolic victory during the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War, elevated Iran's influence in the Levant and strengthened its appeal across the Muslim World.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the arrival of ISIS in the mid-2010s, Iran has financed and trained militia groups in Iraq.<ref name="auto2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="auto4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since the Iran-Iraq war in 1980s and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iran has shaped Iraq's politics.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following Iraq's struggle against ISIS in 2014, companies linked to the IRGC such as Khatam al-Anbiya, started to build roads, power plants, hotels and businesses in Iraq, creating an economic corridor worth around $9 billion before COVID-19.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This is expected to grow to $20 billion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="auto11">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
During Yemen's civil war, Iran provided military support to the Houthis,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a Zaydi Shia movement fighting Yemen's Sunni government since 2004.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They gained significant power in recent years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has considerable influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan through militant groups such as Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In Syria, Iran has supported President Bashar al-Assad;<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the two countries are long-standing allies.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="auto2"/> Iran has provided significant military and economic support to Assad's government,<ref name="auto12">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> so has a considerable foothold in Syria.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has long supported the anti-Israel fronts in North Africa in countries like Algeria and Tunisia, embracing Hamas in part to help undermine the popularity of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's support of Hamas emerged more clearly in later years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to US intelligence, Iran does not have full control over these state and non-state groups.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Human rights and censorshipEdit
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The Iranian government has been denounced by various international organisations and governments for violating human rights.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The government has frequently persecuted and arrested critics of the government. Iranian law does not recognise sexual orientations. Sexual activity between members of the same sex is illegal and is punishable by death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Capital punishment is a legal punishment, and according to the BBC, Iran "carries out more executions than any other country, except China".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman has reported discrimination against several ethnic minorities in Iran.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A group of UN experts in 2022 urged Iran to stop "systematic persecution" of religious minorities, adding that members of the Baháʼí Faith were arrested, barred from universities, or had their homes demolished.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Censorship in Iran is ranked among the most extreme worldwide.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has strict internet censorship, with the government persistently blocking social media and other sites.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="TechCrunch">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since January 2021, Iranian authorities have blocked a list of social media platforms; Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and YouTube.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The 2006 election results were widely disputed, resulting in protests.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 2017–18 Iranian protests swept across the country in response to the economic and political situation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was formally confirmed that thousands of protesters were arrested.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 2019–20 Iranian protests started on 15 November in Ahvaz, and spread across the country after the government announced increases in fuel prices of up to 300%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A week-long total Internet shutdown marked one of the most severe Internet blackouts in any country, and the bloodiest governmental crackdown of the protestors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tens of thousands were arrested and hundreds were killed within a few days according to multiple international observers, including Amnesty International.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was a scheduled international civilian passenger flight from Tehran to Kyiv, operated by Ukraine International Airlines. On 8 January 2020, the Boeing 737–800 flying the route was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shortly after takeoff, killing all 176 occupants on board and leading to protests. An international investigation led to the government admitting to the shootdown, calling it a "human error".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Further protests against the government began on 16 September 2022 after a woman named Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest by the Guidance Patrol, known commonly as the "morality police".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
EconomyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Template:As of, Iran has the world's 19th largest economy (by PPP). It is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Services contribute the largest percentage of GDP, followed by industry (mining and manufacturing) and agriculture.<ref>Iran Investment Monthly Template:Webarchive. Turquoise Partners (April 2012). Retrieved 24 July 2012.</ref> The economy is characterised by its hydrocarbon sector, in addition to manufacturing and financial services.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> With 10% of the world's oil reserves and 15% of gas reserves, Iran is an energy superpower. Over 40 industries are directly involved in the Tehran Stock Exchange.
Tehran is the economic powerhouse of Iran.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> About 30% of Iran's public-sector workforce and 45% of its large industrial firms are located there, and half those firms' employees work for government.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Central Bank of Iran is responsible for developing and maintaining the currency: the Iranian rial. The government does not recognise trade unions other than the Islamic labour councils, which are subject to the approval of employers and the security services.<ref name="ayatoil">Template:Cite news</ref> Unemployment was 9% in 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Budget deficits have been a chronic problem, mostly due to large state subsidies, that include foodstuffs and especially petrol, totalling $100 billion in 2022 for energy alone.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2010, the economic reform plan was to cut subsidies gradually and replace them with targeted social assistance. The objective is to move towards free market prices and increase productivity and social justice.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The administration continues reform, and indicates it will diversify the oil-reliant economy. Iran has developed a biotechnology, nanotechnology, and pharmaceutical industry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The government is privatising industries.
Iran has leading manufacturing industries in automobile manufacture, transportation, construction materials, home appliances, food and agricultural goods, armaments, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and petrochemicals in the Middle East.<ref name="Economy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran is among the world's top five producers of apricots, cherries, cucumbers and gherkins, dates, figs, pistachios, quinces, walnuts, Kiwifruit and watermelons.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> International sanctions against Iran have damaged the economy.<ref name="everend">Template:Cite news</ref> Iran is one of three countries that have not ratified the Paris Agreement to limit climate change, although academics say it would be good for the country.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Iran suffers from high inflation<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and especially surging food prices. A major contributing factor is the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the economy,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> particularly in the agriculture and food sectors but also due to significant spending on the Axis of Resistance which increase the public deficit.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TourismEdit
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Tourism had been rapidly growing before the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching nearly 9 million foreign visitors in 2019, the world's third fastest-growing tourism destination.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2022 it expanded its share to 5% of the economy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's tourism experienced a growth of 43% in 2023, attracting 6 million foreign tourists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The government ended visa requirements for 60 countries in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
98% of visits are for leisure, while 2% are for business, indicating the country's appeal as a tourist destination.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Alongside the capital, the most popular tourist destinations are Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.<ref>Sightseeing and excursions in Iran Template:Webarchive. Tehran Times, 28 September 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2011.</ref> Iran is emerging as a preferred destination for medical tourism.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Travellers from other West Asian countries grew 31% in the first seven months of 2023, surpassing Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Domestic tourism is one of the world's largests; Iranian tourists spent $33bn in 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="BYI">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="MACooper2012">Template:Cite book</ref> Iran projects investment of $32 billion in the tourism sector by 2026.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Agriculture and fisheryEdit
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Roughly one-third of Iran's total surface area is suited for farmland. Only 12% of the total land area is under cultivation, but less than one-third of the cultivated area is irrigated; the rest is devoted to dryland farming. Some 92% of agricultural products depend on water.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The western and northwestern portions of the country have the most fertile soils. Iran's food security index stands at around 96 percent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 3% of the total land area is used for grazing and fodder production. Most of the grazing is done on mostly semi-dry rangeland in mountain areas and on areas surrounding the large deserts of Central Iran. Progressive government efforts and incentives during the 1990s, improved agricultural productivity, helping Iran toward its goal of reestablishing national self-sufficiency in food production.
Access to the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and many river basins provides Iran the potential to develop excellent fisheries. The government assumed control of commercial fishing in 1952. Expansion of the fishery infrastructure enabled the country to harvest an estimated 700,000 tons of fish annually from the southern waters. Since the Revolution, increased attention has been focused on producing fish from inland waters. Between 1976 and 2004, the combined take from inland waters by the state and private sectors increased from 1,100 tons to 110,175 tons.<ref name="loc3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran is the world's largest producer and exporter of caviar, exporting more than 300 tonnes annually.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Industry and servicesEdit
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Iran is globally ranked 16th in car manufacturing, ahead of the UK, Italy, and Russia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> It has outputted 1.188 million cars in 2023, a 12% growth compared to the previous years. Iran has exported various cars to countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Belarus. From 2008 to 2009, Iran leaped to 28th place from 69th in annual industrial production growth rate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iranian contractors have been awarded several foreign tender contracts in different fields of construction of dams, bridges, roads, buildings, railroads, power generation, and gas, oil and petrochemical industries. As of 2011, some 66 Iranian industrial companies are carrying out projects in 27 countries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran exported over $20 billion worth of technical and engineering services over 2001–2011. The availability of local raw materials, rich mineral reserves, experienced manpower have all played crucial role in winning the bids.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
45% of large industrial firms are located in Tehran, and almost half of their workers work for government.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Iranian retail industry is largely in the hands of cooperatives, many of them government-sponsored, and of independent retailers in the bazaars. The bulk of food sales occur at street markets, where the Chief Statistics Bureau sets the prices.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's main exports are to Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Syria, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Venezuela, Japan, South Korea and Turkey.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's automotive industry is the second most active industry of the country, after its oil and gas industry. Iran Khodro is the largest car manufacturer in the Middle East, and ITMCO is the biggest tractor manufacturer. Iran is the 12th largest automaker in the world. Construction is one of the most important sectors in Iran accounting for 20–50% of the total private investment.
Iran is one of the most important mineral producers in the world, ranked among 15 major mineral-rich countries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has become self-sufficient in designing, building and operating dams and power plants. Iran is one of the six countries in the world that manufacture gas- and steam-powered turbines.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TransportEdit
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In 2011 Iran had Template:Convert of roads, of which 73% were paved.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2008 there were nearly 100 passenger cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.<ref name="iran-daily.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tehran Metro is the largest in the Middle East,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> it carries more than 3 million passengers daily and in 2018, 820 million trips.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Trains operate on Template:Convert of track.<ref name="rai.ir">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The country's major port of entry is Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz. Imported goods are distributed through the country by trucks and freight trains. The Tehran–Bandar Abbas railroad connects Bandar-Abbas to the railroad system of Central Asia, via Tehran and Mashhad. Other major ports include Bandar e-Anzali and Bandar e-Torkeman on the Caspian Sea and Khorramshahr and Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni on the Persian Gulf.
Dozens of cities have airports that serve passenger and cargo planes. Iran Air, the national airline, operates domestic and international flights. All large cities have mass transit systems using buses, and private companies provide bus services between cities. Over a million people work in transport, accounting for 9% of GDP.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EnergyEdit
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Iran is an energy superpower and petroleum plays a key part.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:As of, Iran produced 4% of the world's crude oil (Template:Convert per day),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which generates US$36bn<ref name="u048">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of export revenue and is the main source of foreign currency.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Oil and gas reserves are estimated at 1.2 trn barrels;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran holds 10% of world oil reserves and 15% for gas. It ranks 3rd in oil reserves<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and is OPEC's 2nd largest exporter. It has the 2nd largest gas reserves,<ref name="The Wall Street Journalgas">Template:Cite news</ref> and 3rd largest natural gas production. In 2019, Iran discovered a southern oil field of 50 bn barrels<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in April 2024, the NIOC discovered 10 giant shale oil deposits, totalling 2.6 bn barrels.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran plans to invest $500 billion in oil by 2025.<ref name="nitc.co.ir">Iran Daily – Domestic Economy – 04/24/08Template:Dead link</ref>
Iran manufactures 60–70% of its industrial equipment domestically, including turbines, pumps, catalysts, refineries, oil tankers, drilling rigs, offshore platforms, towers, pipes, and exploration instruments.<ref>SHANA: Share of domestically made equipments on the rise Template:Webarchive. Retrieved 26 July 2010.</ref> The addition of new hydroelectric stations and streamlining of conventional coal and oil-fired stations increased installed capacity to 33 GW; about 75% was based on natural gas, 18% on oil, and 7% on hydroelectric power. In 2004, Iran opened its first wind-powered and geothermal plants, and the first solar thermal plant began in 2009. Iran is the world's third country to develop GTL technology.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Demographic trends and intensified industrialisation have caused electric power demand to grow by 8% per year. The government's goal of 53 GW of installed capacity by 2010 is to be reached by bringing on line new gas-fired plants, and adding hydropower and nuclear generation capacity. Iran's first nuclear power plant went online in 2011.<ref name="nuclear">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="MüllerMüller2015">Template:Cite book</ref>
Despite being an energy superpower as of 2024-2025 Iran suffers from an energy crisis, manifested by many power outages.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Science and technologyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Iran has made considerable advances in science and technology, despite international sanctions. In the biomedical sciences, Iran's Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics has a UNESCO chair in biology.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2006, Iranian scientists successfully cloned a sheep at the Royan Research Centre in Tehran.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Stem cell research is among the top 10 in the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran ranks 15th in the world in nanotechnologies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iranian scientists outside Iran have made major scientific contributions. In 1960, Ali Javan co-invented the first gas laser, and fuzzy set theory was introduced by Lotfi A. Zadeh.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Cardiologist Tofy Mussivand invented and developed the first artificial cardiac pump, the precursor of the artificial heart. Furthering research in diabetes, the HbA1c was discovered by Samuel Rahbar. Many papers in string theory are published in Iran.<ref name="Nasr2007">Template:Cite book</ref> In 2014, Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman, and Iranian, to receive the Fields Medal, the highest prize in mathematics.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran increased its publication output nearly tenfold from 1996 through 2004, and ranked first in output growth rate, followed by China.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to a study by SCImago in 2012, Iran would rank fourth in research output by 2018, if the trend persisted.<ref name="SCImago_December_2012c">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Iranian humanoid robot Sorena 2, which was designed by engineers at the University of Tehran, was unveiled in 2010. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has placed the name of Surena among the five most prominent robots, after analysing its performance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
According to a 2019 study by Isabel Campos-Varela et al., Iran recorded the highest proportion of retracted publications globally, with 15.52 retractions per 10,000 publications. Media reports from 2023 indicate that Iran continues to rank among the countries with the highest retraction rates. Common types of misconduct include fraudulent peer review processes, plagiarism, and data fabrication. Data from the Retraction Watch Leaderboard further highlights that two of the 32 individuals with the highest number of retracted articles worldwide are based in Iran.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran was ranked 64th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iranian Space AgencyEdit
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The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) was established in 2004. Iran became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and is a founding member of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Iran placed its domestically built satellite Omid into orbit on the 30th anniversary of the Revolution, in 2009,<ref name="HarveySmid2011">Template:Cite book</ref> through its first expendable launch vehicle Safir. It became the 9th country capable of both producing a satellite and sending it into space from a domestically made launcher.<ref name="Hvac-conference.ir_November_29_2015c">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Simorgh's launch in 2016, is the successor of Safir.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In January 2024, Iran launched the Soraya satellite into its highest orbit yet (750 km),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a new space launch milestone for the country.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was launched by Qaem 100 rocket.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran also successfully launched 3 indigenous satellites, The Mahda, Kayan and Hatef,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> into orbit using the Simorgh carrier rocket.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was the first time in the country's history that it simultaneously sent three satellites into space.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The three satellites are designed for testing advanced satellite subsystems, space-based positioning technology, and narrowband communication.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In February 2024, Iran launched its domestically developed imaging satellite, Pars 1, from Russia into orbit.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This was the second time since August 2022, when Russia launched another Iranian remote-sensing, Khayyam satellite, into orbit from Kazakhstan, reflecting deep scientific cooperation between the countries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TelecommunicationEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Iran's telecommunications industry is almost entirely state-owned, dominated by the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI). As of 2020, 70 million Iranians use high-speed mobile internet. Iran is among the first five countries which have had a growth rate of over 20 percent and the highest level of development in telecommunication.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran has been awarded the UNESCO special certificate for providing telecommunication services to rural areas.
Globally, Iran ranks 75th in mobile internet speed and 153rd in fixed internet speed.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DemographicsEdit
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Iran's population grew rapidly from about 19 million in 1956 to about 85 million by February 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, Iran's fertility rate has dropped dramatically, from 6.5 children born per woman to about 1.7 two decades later,<ref>Latest Statistical Center of Iran fertility rate statistics (published February 2023). xlsx Template:Webarchive at page Template:Webarchive.</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> leading to a population growth rate of about 1.39% as of 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Due to its young population, studies project that the growth will continue to slow until it stabilises at around 105 million by 2050.<ref name="bureau">U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005. Unpublished work tables for estimating Iran's mortality. Washington, D.C.: Population Division, International Programs Center</ref><ref name="payvand">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran hosts one of the largest refugee populations, with almost one million,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to the Iranian Constitution, the government is required to provide every citizen with access to social security, covering retirement, unemployment, old age, disability, accidents, calamities, health and medical treatment and care services.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This is covered by tax revenues and income derived from public contributions.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The country has one of the highest urban growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%.<ref name="payvand2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's population is concentrated in its western half, especially in the north, north-west and west.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tehran, with a population of around 9.4 million, is Iran's capital and largest city. The country's second most populous city, Mashhad, has a population of around 3.4 million, and is capital of the province of Razavi Khorasan. Isfahan has a population of around 2.2 million and is Iran's third most populous city. It is the capital of Isfahan province and was also the third capital of the Safavid Empire.
Template:Largest cities of Iran
Ethnic groupsEdit
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Ethnic group composition remains a point of debate, mainly regarding the largest and second largest ethnic groups, the Persians and Azerbaijanis, due to the lack of Iranian state censuses based on ethnicity.
According to a 2003 estimate, Persians make up 51% of the population, while Azerbaijanis make up 24%, Gilaks and Mazenderanis 8%, Kurds 7%, Arabs 3%, Lurs 2%, Balochis 2%, Turkmens 2% and other groups (including Armenians, Jews, Assyrians, Qashqai, Shahsevan) make up the remaining 1%.Template:Sfn The Library of Congress in 2008 issued slightly different estimates: 65% Persians (also including Gilaks and MazenderanisTemplate:Efn), 16% Azerbaijanis, 7% Kurds, 6% Lurs, 2% Arabs, 2% Balochis, 1% Turkic tribal groups (such as Qashqai), and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups (including Armenians, Georgians, and Assyrians) less than 1%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ethnic based discrimination is prevalent in Iran. Minorities in Iran have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing crackdown aimed at repressing the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement, according to the UN Fact-Finding Mission.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
LanguagesEdit
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Most of the population speaks Persian, the country's official and national language.<ref name="AO">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Others include speakers of other Iranian languages, within the greater Indo-European family, and languages belonging to other ethnicities. The Gilaki and Mazenderani languages are widely spoken in Gilan and Mazenderan, northern Iran. The Talysh language is spoken in parts of Gilan. Varieties of Kurdish are concentrated in the province of Kurdistan and nearby areas. In Khuzestan, several dialects of Persian are spoken. South Iran also houses the Luri and Lari languages.
Azerbaijani, the most-spoken minority language in the country,<ref>Annika Rabo, Bo Utas. The Role of the State in West Asia Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, 2005 Template:ISBN</ref> and other Turkic languages and dialects are found in various regions, especially Azerbaijan. Notable minority languages include Armenian, Georgian, Neo-Aramaic, and Arabic. Khuzi Arabic is spoken by the Arabs in Khuzestan, and the wider group of Iranian Arabs. Circassian was also once widely spoken by the large Circassian minority, but, due to assimilation, no sizable number of Circassians speak the language anymore.<ref>Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East Template:Webarchive Facts On File, Incorporated Template:ISBN p. 141</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal Excerpted from:
- Template:Cite book</ref>
ReligionEdit
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}}</ref> | ||
| Religion | Percent | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Islam | 99.4% | 74,682,938 |
| Christianity | 0.2% | 117,704 |
| Zoroastrianism | 0.03% | 25,271 |
| Judaism | 0.01% | 8,756 |
| other | 0.07% | 49,101 |
| undeclared | 0.4% | 265,899 |
Twelver Shi'a sect Islam is the state religion, to which 90–95% of Iranians adhere;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> about 5–10% are in the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam.<ref name="cia.gov">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to the World Values Survey, 96.6% of Iranian respondents believe in Islam, while 4.1% claim that religion is "not at all important" in life.<ref name="worldvaluessurvey.org"> Template:Cite report</ref>
There is a large population of adherents to Yarsanism, a Kurdish indigenous religion, estimated to be over half a million to one million followers.<ref>Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa (Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2004) p. 82</ref>Template:Sfnp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Baháʼí Faith is not officially recognised and has been subject to official persecution.<ref name="fdih2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since the Revolution, the persecution of Baháʼís has increased.<ref name="ihrdc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Irreligion is not recognised by the government.
Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and the Sunni branch of Islam are officially recognised by the government and have reserved seats in the Parliament.<ref name="Colin Brock p 99">Colin Brock, Lila Zia Levers. Aspects of Education in the Middle East and Africa Symposium Books Ltd., 7 mei 2007 Template:ISBN p. 99</ref> Iran is home to the largest Jewish community in the Muslim World and the Middle East, outside of Israel.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Around 250,000 to 370,000 Christians reside in Iran, and Christianity is the country's largest recognised minority religion, most are of Armenian background, as well as a sizable minority of Assyrians.<ref name="IRFR2009-Iran">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Country Information and Guidance "Christians and Christian converts, Iran" December 2014. p.9</ref> The Iranian government has supported the rebuilding and renovation of Armenian churches, and has supported the Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran. In 2019, the government registered the Vank Cathedral, in Isfahan, as a World Heritage Site. Currently three Armenian churches in Iran have been included in the World Heritage List.<ref>"Iran to Register Armenian Cathedral in Isfahan as UNESCO World Heritage Site" Template:Webarchive. Armenian National Committee of America. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EducationEdit
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Education is highly centralised. K–12 is supervised by the Ministry of Education, and higher education is supervised by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Literacy among people aged 15 and older was 86% Template:As of, with men (90%) significantly more educated than women (81%). Government expenditure on education is around 4% of GDP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The requirement to enter into higher education is to have a high school diploma and pass the Iranian University Entrance Exam. Many students do a one–two-year course of pre-university.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's higher education is sanctioned by different levels of diplomas, including an associate degree in two years, a bachelor's degree in four years, and a master's degree in two years, after which another exam allows the candidate to pursue a doctoral programme.<ref name="wes.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HealthEdit
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Healthcare is provided by the public-governmental system, the private sector, and NGOs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iran is the only country in the world with a legal organ trade.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Iran has been able to extend public health preventive services through the establishment of an extensive Primary Health Care Network. As a result, child and maternal mortality rates have fallen significantly, and life expectancy at birth has risen. Iran's medical knowledge rank is 17th globally, and 1st in the Middle East and North Africa. In terms of medical science production index, Iran ranks 16th in the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran is fast emerging as a preferred destination for medical tourism.<ref name=":0" />
The country faces the common problem of other young demographic nations in the region, which is keeping pace with growth of an already huge demand for various public services. An anticipated increase in the population growth rate will increase the need for public health infrastructures and services.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> About 90% of Iranians have health insurance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CultureEdit
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ArtEdit
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Iran has one of the richest art heritages in history and been strong in many media including architecture, painting, literature, music, metalworking, stonemasonry, weaving, calligraphy and sculpture. At different times, influences from neighbouring civilisations have been important, and latterly Persian art gave and received major influences as part of the wider styles of Islamic art.
From the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), the courts of successive dynasties led the style of Persian art, and court-sponsored art left many of the most impressive pieces that remain. The Islamic style of dense decoration, geometrically laid out, developed in Iran into an elegant and harmonious style, combining motifs derived from plants with Chinese motifs such as the cloud-band, and often animals represented at a smaller scale. During the Safavid Empire in the 16th century, this style was used across a variety of media, and diffused from the court artists of the king, most being painters.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
By the time of the Sasanians, Iranian art had a renaissance.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> During the Middle Ages, Sasanian art played a prominent role in the formation of European and Asian mediaeval art.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Iran in Britannica">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> The Safavid era is known as the Golden Age of Iranian art.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Safavid art exerted noticeable influences upon the Ottomans, the Mughals, and the Deccans, and was influential through its fashion and garden architecture on 11th–17th-century Europe.
Iran's contemporary art traces its origins to Kamal-ol-molk, a prominent realist painter at the court of the Qajar Empire who affected the norms of painting and adopted a naturalistic style that would compete with photographic works. A new Iranian school of fine art was established by him in 1928, and was followed by the so-called "coffeehouse" style of painting. Iran's avant-garde modernists emerged by the arrival of new western influences during World War II. The contemporary art scene originates in the late 1940s, and Tehran's first modern art gallery, Apadana, was opened in 1949 by Mahmud Javadipur, Hosein Kazemi, and Hushang Ajudani.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The new movements received official encouragement by the 1950s,<ref name="IrMo">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> which led to the emergence of artists such as Marcos Grigorian.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ArchitectureEdit
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The history of architecture in Iran dates back to at least 5,000 BC, with characteristic examples distributed over an area from what is now Turkey and Iraq to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and from the Caucasus to Zanzibar. The Iranians made early use of mathematics, geometry and astronomy in their architecture, yielding a tradition with structural and aesthetic variety.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The guiding motif is its cosmic symbolism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Without sudden innovations, and despite the trauma of invasions and cultural shocks, it developed a recognizable style distinct from other regions of the Muslim world. Its virtues are "a marked feeling for form and scale; structural inventiveness, especially in vault and dome construction; a genius for decoration with a freedom and success not rivalled in any other architecture".Template:Citation needed In addition to historic gates, palaces, and mosques, the rapid growth of cities such as Tehran has brought a wave of construction. Iran ranks 7th among UNESCO's list of countries with the most archaeological ruins and attractions from antiquity.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
World Heritage SitesEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Iran's rich culture and history is reflected by its 27 World Heritage Sites, ranking 1st in the Middle East, and 10th in the world. These include Persepolis, Naghsh-e Jahan Square, Chogha Zanbil, Pasargadae, Golestan Palace, Arg-e Bam, Behistun Inscription, Shahr-e Sukhteh, Susa, Takht-e Soleyman, Hyrcanian forests, the city of Yazd and more. Iran has 24 Intangible Cultural Heritage, or Human treasures, which ranks 5th worldwide.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
WeavingEdit
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Iran's carpet-weaving has its origins in the Bronze Age and is one of the most distinguished manifestations of Iranian art. Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Persian rugs and carpets were woven in parallel by nomadic tribes in village and town workshops, and by royal court manufactories. As such, they represent simultaneous lines of tradition, and reflect the history of Iran, Persian culture, and its various peoples. Although the term "Persian carpet" most often refers to pile-woven textiles, flat-woven carpets and rugs like Kilim, Soumak, and embroidered tissues like Suzani are part of the manifold tradition of Persian carpet weaving.
Iran produces three-quarters of the world's handmade carpets, and has 30% of export markets.<ref name="Goswami2009">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2010, the "traditional skills of carpet weaving" in Fars Province and Kashan were inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Within the Oriental rugs produced by the countries of the "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Carpets woven in towns and regional centres like Tabriz, Kerman, Ravar, Neyshabour, Mashhad, Kashan, Isfahan, Nain and Qom are characterized by their specific weaving techniques and use of high-quality materials, colours and patterns. Hand-woven Persian rugs and carpets have been regarded as objects of high artistic value and prestige, since they were mentioned by ancient Greek writers.
LiteratureEdit
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Iran's oldest literary tradition is that of Avestan, the Old Iranian sacred language of the Avesta, which consists of the legendary and religious texts of Zoroastrianism and the ancient Iranian religion.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Persian language was used and developed through Persianate societies in Asia Minor, Central Asia, and South Asia, leaving extensive influences on Ottoman and Mughal literatures, among others. Iran has several famous medieval poets, notably Rumi, Ferdowsi, Hafez, Saadi Shirazi, Omar Khayyam, and Nizami Ganjavi.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Described as one of the great literatures of humanity,<ref>Arthur John Arberry, The Legacy of Persia, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1953, Template:ISBN, p. 200.</ref> including Goethe's assessment of it as one of the four main bodies of world literature,<ref>Von David Levinson; Karen Christensen, Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, Charles Scribner's Sons. 2002, vol. 4, p. 480</ref> Persian literature has its roots in surviving works of Middle Persian and Old Persian, the latter of which dates back as far as 522 BCE, the date of the earliest surviving Achaemenid inscription, the Behistun Inscription. The bulk of surviving Persian literature, however, comes from the times following the Muslim conquest in Template:Circa 650 CE. After the Abbasids came to power (750 CE), the Iranians became the scribes and bureaucrats of the Islamic Caliphate and, increasingly, also its writers and poets. The New Persian language literature arose and flourished in Khorasan and Transoxiana because of political reasons, early Iranian dynasties of post-Islamic Iran such as the Tahirids and Samanids being based in Khorasan.<ref>Frye, R.N., "Darī", The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Brill Publications, CD version.</ref>
PhilosophyEdit
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Iranian philosophy can be traced back as far as Old Iranian philosophical traditions and thoughts which originated in ancient Indo-Iranian roots and were influenced by Zarathustra's teachings. Throughout Iranian history and due to remarkable political and social changes such as the Arab and Mongol invasions, a wide spectrum of schools of thoughts showed a variety of views on philosophical questions, extending from Old Iranian and mainly Zoroastrianism-related traditions, to schools appearing in the late pre-Islamic era such as Manicheism and Mazdakism as well as post-Islamic schools.
The Cyrus Cylinder is seen as a reflection of the questions and thoughts expressed by Zoroaster and developed in Zoroastrian schools of the Achaemenid era.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Post-Islam Iranian philosophy is characterised by different interactions with the Old Iranian philosophy, the Greek philosophy and with the development of Islamic philosophy. The Illumination School and the Transcendent Philosophy are regarded as two of the main philosophical traditions of that era in Iran. Contemporary Iranian philosophy has been limited in its scope by intellectual repression.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Mythology and folkloreEdit
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Iranian mythology consists of ancient Iranian folklore and stories of extraordinary beings reflecting on good and evil (Ahura Mazda and Ahriman), actions of the gods, and the exploits of heroes and creatures. The tenth-century Persian poet, Ferdowsi, is the author of the national epic known as the Shahnameh ("Book of Kings"), which is for the most part based on Xwadāynāmag, a Middle Persian compilation of the history of Iranian kings and heroes,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> as well as the stories and characters of the Zoroastrian tradition, from the texts of the Avesta, the Denkard, the Vendidad and the Bundahishn. Modern scholars study the myths to shed light on the religious and political institutions of not only Iran but of the Greater Iran, which includes regions of West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, and Transcaucasia where the culture of Iran has had significant influence.
Storytelling has a significant presence in Iranian folklore and culture.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In classical Iran, minstrels performed for their audiences at royal courts and in public theatres.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A minstrel was referred to by the Parthians as gōsān, and by the Sasanians as huniyāgar.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since the Safavid Empire, storytellers and poetry readers appeared at coffeehouses.<ref name="auto6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the Iranian Revolution, it took until 1985 to found the MCHTH (Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts),<ref name=":5" /> a now heavily centralised organisation, supervising all kinds of cultural activities. It held the first scientific meeting on anthropology and folklore in 1990.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
MuseumsEdit
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The National Museum of Iran in Tehran is the country's most important cultural institution. As the first and biggest museum in Iran, the institution includes the Museum of Ancient Iran and the Museum of the Islamic Era. The National Museum is the world's most important museum in terms of preservation, display and research of archaeological collections of Iran,<ref name=":8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and ranks as one of the few most prestigious museums globally in terms of volume, diversity and quality of its monuments.<ref name=":8" />
There are many other popular museums across the country such as the Golestan Palace (World Heritage Site), The Treasury of National Jewels, Reza Abbasi Museum, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Sa'dabad Complex, The Carpet Museum, Abgineh Museum, Pars Museum, Azerbaijan Museum, Hegmataneh Museum, Susa Museum and more. Around 25 million people visited the museums in 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Music and danceEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Multiple image Iran is the apparent birthplace of the earliest complex instruments, dating to the third millennium BC.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> The use of angular harps have been documented at Madaktu and Kul-e Farah, with the largest collection of Elamite instruments documented at Kul-e Farah. Xenophon's Cyropaedia mentions singing women at the court of the Achaemenid Empire. Under the Parthian Empire, the gōsān (Parthian for 'minstrel') had a prominent role.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The history of Sasanian music is better documented than earlier periods and is especially more evident in Avestan texts.<ref name=EI-mhphi>Template:Harv iv. First millennium C.E. (1) Sasanian music, 224–651.</ref> By the time of Khosrow II, the Sasanian royal court hosted prominent musicians, namely Azad, Bamshad, Barbad, Nagisa, Ramtin, and Sarkash. Iranian traditional musical instruments include string instruments such as chang (harp), qanun, santur, rud (oud, barbat), tar, dotar, setar, tanbur, and kamanche, wind instruments such as sorna (zurna, karna) and ney, and percussion instruments such as tompak, kus, daf (dayere), and naqare.
Iran's first symphony orchestra, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1933. By the late 1940s, Ruhollah Khaleqi founded the country's first national music society and established the School of National Music in 1949.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iranian pop music has its origins in the Qajar era.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was significantly developed since the 1950s, using indigenous instruments and forms accompanied by electric guitar and other imported characteristics. Iranian rock emerged in the 1960s and hip hop in the 2000s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Iran has known dance in the forms of music, play, drama or religious rituals since at least the 6th millennium BC. Artifacts with pictures of dancers were found in archaeological prehistoric sites.<ref name=":6" /> Genres of dance vary depending on the area, culture, and language of the local people, and can range from sophisticated reconstructions of refined court dances to energetic folk dances.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Each group, region, and historical epoch has specific dance styles associated with it. The earliest researched dance from historic Iran is a dance worshipping Mithra. Ancient Persian dance was significantly researched by Greek historian Herodotus. Iran was occupied by foreign powers, causing a slow disappearance of heritage dance traditions.
The Qajar period had an important influence on Persian dance. In this period, a style of dance began to be called "classical Persian dance". Dancers performed artistic dances in court for entertainment purposes such as coronations, marriage celebrations, and Norouz celebrations. In the 20th century, the music came to be orchestrated and dance movement and costuming gained a modernistic orientation to the West.
Fashion and clothingEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The exact date of the emergence of weaving in Iran is not yet known, but it is likely to coincide with the emergence of civilisation. Ferdowsi and many historians have considered Keyumars to be first to use animals' skin and hair as clothing, while others propose Hushang.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite book</ref> Ferdowsi considers Tahmuras to be a kind of textile initiator in Iran. The clothing of ancient Iran took an advanced form, and the fabric and colour of clothing became very important. Depending on the social status, eminence, climate of the region and the season, Persian clothing during the Achaemenian period took various forms. This clothing, in addition to being functional, had an aesthetic role.<ref name=":02" />
Cinema, animation and theatreEdit
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A third-millennium BC earthen goblet discovered at the Burnt City in southeast Iran depicts what could be the world's oldest example of animation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The earliest attested Iranian examples of visual representations, however, are traced back to the bas-reliefs of Persepolis, the ritual centre of the Achaemenid Empire.<ref>Honour, Hugh and John Fleming, The Visual Arts: A History. New Jersey, Prentice Hall Inc., 1992. Page: 96.</ref>
The first Iranian filmmaker was probably Mirza Ebrahim (Akkas Bashi), the court photographer of Mozaffar-ed-Din of the Qajar Empire. Mirza Ebrahim obtained a camera and filmed the Qajar ruler's visit to Europe. In 1904, Mirza Ebrahim (Sahhaf Bashi) opened the first public cinema in Tehran.<ref name="massoudmehrabi1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first Iranian feature film, Abi and Rabi, was a silent comedy directed by Ovanes Ohanian in 1930. The first sound one, Lor Girl, was produced by Ardeshir Irani and Abd-ol-Hosein Sepanta in 1932. Iran's animation industry began by the 1950s and was followed by the establishment of the influential Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in 1965.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> With the screening of the films Qeysar and The Cow, directed by Masoud Kimiai and Dariush Mehrjui respectively in 1969, alternative films set out to establish their status in the film industry and Bahram Beyzai's Downpour and Nasser Taghvai's Tranquility in the Presence of Others followed. Attempts to organise a film festival, which had begun in 1954 within the Golrizan Festival, resulted in the festival of Sepas in 1969. It also resulted in the formation of Tehran's World Film Festival in 1973.<ref name="Esfandiary2012">Template:Cite book</ref>
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Following the Cultural Revolution, a new age emerged in Iranian cinema, starting with Long Live! by Khosrow Sinai and followed by other directors, such as Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi. Kiarostami, an acclaimed director, planted Iran firmly on the map of world cinema when he won the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for Taste of Cherry in 1997.<ref name="Dabashi2007">Template:Cite book</ref> The presence of Iranian films in prestigious international festivals, such as Cannes, Venice and Berlin, attracted attention to Iranian films.<ref name="DecherneyAtwood2014">Template:Cite book</ref> In 2006, 6 films represented Iranian cinema at Berlin; critics considered this a remarkable event in Iranian cinema.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Asghar Farhadi, an Iranian director, has received a Golden Globe Award and two Academy Awards, representing Iran for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012 and 2017, with A Separation and The Salesman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, Ashkan Rahgozar's "The Last Fiction" became the first representative of Iranian animated cinema in the competition section, in Best Animated Feature and Best Picture categories at the Academy Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The oldest Iranian initiation of theatre can be traced to ancient epic ceremonial theatres such as Sug-e Siāvuڑ ("mourning of Siāvaڑ"), as well as dances and theatre narrations of Iranian mythological tales reported by Herodotus and Xenophon. Iran's traditional theatrical genres include Baqqāl-bāzi ("grocer play", a form of slapstick comedy), Ruhowzi (or Taxt-howzi, comedy performed over a courtyard pool covered with boards), Siāh-bāzi (the central comedian appears in blackface), Sāye-bāzi (shadow play), Xeyme-ڑab-bāzi (marionette), and Arusak-bāzi (puppetry), and Ta'zie (religious tragedy plays).<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
The Roudaki Hall is home to the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the Tehran Opera Orchestra, and the Iranian National Ballet Company, and was officially renamed Vahdat Hall after the Revolution.
MediaEdit
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Iran's largest media corporation is the state-owned IRIB. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is responsible for the cultural policy, including activities regarding communications and information.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Most of the newspapers published in Iran are in Persian, the country's official and national language. The country's most widely circulated periodicals are based in Tehran, among which are Etemad, Ettela'at, Kayhan, Hamshahri, Resalat, and Shargh.<ref name=BYI /> Tehran Times, Iran Daily, and Financial Tribune are among the famous English-language newspapers based in Iran.
Iran ranks 17th among countries by number of Internet users. Google Search is Iran's most widely used search engine and Instagram is the most popular online social networking service.<ref name="Alexa Internet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Direct access to many worldwide mainstream websites has been blocked in Iran, including Facebook, which has been blocked since 2009. About 90% of Iran's e-commerce takes place on the Iranian online store Digikala, which has around 750,000 visitors per day and is the most visited online store in the Middle East.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
CuisineEdit
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Iranian main dishes include varieties of kebab, pilaf, stew (khoresh), soup and āsh, and omelette. Lunch and dinner meals are commonly accompanied by side dishes such as plain yogurt or mast-o-khiar, sabzi, salad Shirazi, and torshi, and might follow dishes such as borani, Mirza Qasemi, or kashk e bademjan. In Iranian culture, tea is widely consumed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Iran is the world's seventh major tea producer.<ref name="FAOSTAT2">Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—Production FAOSTAT Template:Webarchive. Retrieved 30 April 2010.</ref> One of Iran's most popular desserts is the falude.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> There is also the popular saffron ice cream, known as Bastani Sonnati ("traditional ice cream"),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which is sometimes accompanied with carrot juice.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Iran is also famous for its caviar.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Typical Iranian main dishes are combinations of rice with meat, vegetables and nuts. Herbs are frequently used, along with fruits such as plums, pomegranates, quince, prunes, apricots and raisins. Characteristic Iranian spices and flavourings such as saffron, cardamom, and dried lime and other sources of sour flavoring, cinnamon, turmeric and parsley are mixed and used in various dishes.
SportsEdit
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Iran is the birthplace of polo,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> locally known as Chogan, with its earliest records attributed to the ancient Medes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Freestyle wrestling is traditionally considered the national sport, and Iran's wrestlers have been world champions many times. Iran's traditional wrestling, called koڑti e pahlevāni ("heroic wrestling"), is registered on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's National Olympic Committee was founded in 1947. Wrestlers and weightlifters have achieved the country's highest records at the Olympics. In 1974, Iran became the first country in West Asia to host the Asian Games.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
As a mountainous country, Iran is a venue for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and mountain climbing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is home to ski resorts, the most famous being Tochal, Dizin, and Shemshak.<ref name="Snowseasoncentral.com_November_29_2015c">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dizin is the largest, and authorised by FIS to administer international competitions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Football is the most popular sport, with the men's national team having won the Asian Cup three times. The men's team ranks 2nd in Asia and 18th in the FIFA World Rankings Template:As of.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Azadi Stadium in Tehran is the largest association football stadium in West Asia and on a list of top-20 stadiums in the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Volleyball is the second most popular sport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Having won the 2011 and 2013 Asian Men's Volleyball Championships, the men's national team is the 2nd strongest in Asia, and 15th in the FIVB World Rankings Template:As of. Basketball is also popular, with the men's national team having won three Asian Championships since 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
ObservancesEdit
Iran's official New Year begins with Nowruz, an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated annually on the vernal equinox and described as the Persian New Year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was registered on the UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009.<ref name="Unesco.org_November_29_2015c">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On the eve of the last Wednesday of the preceding year, as a prelude to Nowruz, the ancient festival of بārڑanbe Suri celebrates Ātar ("fire") by performing rituals such as jumping over bonfires and lighting fireworks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Yaldā, another ancient tradition,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> commemorates the ancient goddess Mithra and marks the longest night of the year on the eve of the winter solstice (usually on 20 or 21 December),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> during which families gather to recite poetry and eat fruits.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link</ref> In some regions of Mazanderan and Markazi,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> there is a midsummer festival, Tirgān,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> which is observed on Tir 13 (2 or 3Template:NbspJuly) as a celebration of water.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Islamic annual events such as Ramezān, Eid e Fetr, and Ruz e Āڑurā are marked by the country's population, Christian traditions such as Noel,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> elle ye Ruze, and Eid e Pāk are observed by the Christian communities, Jewish traditions such as Hanukā<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Eid e Fatir (Pesah)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> are observed by the Jewish communities, and Zoroastrian traditions such as Sade<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Mehrgān are observed by the Zoroastrians.
Public holidaysEdit
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With 26, Iran has one of the world's highest number of public holidays.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It ranks 1st in the world with the most paid leave days: 52.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iran's official calendar is the Solar Hejri calendar, beginning at the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.<ref name="Calenica">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Each of the 12 months of the Solar Hejri calendar correspond with a zodiac sign, and the length of each year is solar.<ref name="Calenica" /> Alternatively, the Lunar Hejri calendar is used to indicate Islamic events, and the Gregorian calendar marks international events.
Legal public holidays based on the Iranian solar calendar include the cultural celebrations of Nowruz (Farvardin 1–4; 21–24 March) and Sizdebedar (Farvardin 13; 2Template:NbspApril), and the political events of Islamic Republic Day (Farvardin 12; 1Template:NbspApril), the death of Ruhollah Khomeini (Khordad 14; 4Template:NbspJune), the Khordad 15 event (Khordad 15; 5Template:NbspJune), the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution (Bahman 22; 10 February), and Oil Nationalisation Day (Esfand 29; 19 March).<ref name="irmys">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lunar Islamic public holidays include Tasua (Muharram 9), Ashura (Muharram 10), Arba'een (Safar 20), Muhammad's death (Safar 28), the death of Ali al-Ridha (Safar 29 or 30), the birthday of Muhammad (Rabi-al-Awwal 17), the death of Fatimah (Jumada-al-Thani 3), the birthday of Ali (Rajab 13), Muhammad's first revelation (Rajab 27), the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi (Sha'ban 15), the death of Ali (Ramadan 21), Eid al-Fitr (Shawwal 1–2), the death of Ja'far al-Sadiq (Shawwal 25), Eid al-Qurban (Zulhijja 10), and Eid al-Qadir (Zulhijja 18).<ref name="irmys" />
See alsoEdit
Explanatory notesEdit
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ReferencesEdit
BibliographyEdit
Encyclopaedia IranicaEdit
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BooksEdit
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External linksEdit
- The Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran
- President of Iran
- Visit Iran - Official Travel Guide of Iran
- Iran.ir Template:Webarchive Template:In lang
- Iran Template:Webarchive. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
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