Iran

Iran ( Persian : ایران) is a Middle Eastern country located in Southwest Asia . Although locally known as Iran from the ancient times, until 1935 the country was referred to in the West as Persia . In 1959 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi announced that both terms could be used. Use of the word "Persia" to refer to present-day Iran is, however, rare. In 1979 a revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini established a theocratic Islamic Republic , making the country's current full name The Islamic Republic of Iran (جمهوری اسلامی ایران). The name Iran is a cognate of " Aryan " meaning "Land of the Aryans".

The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was widely known as Persia . Both Persia and Iran are used interchangeably in cultural contexts; however, Iran is the name used officially in political contexts. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan , and means "Land of the Aryans ". The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,195 km², Iran has a population of over 74 million. It is a country of particular geostrategic significance owing to its location in the Middle East and central Eurasia . Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia , Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan . As Iran is a littoral state of the Caspian Sea , which is an inland sea and condominium , Kazakhstan and Russia are also Iran's direct neighbors to the north. Iran is bordered on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan , on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman , on the west by Iraq and on the northwest by Turkey . Tehran is the capital, the country's largest city and the political, cultural, commercial and industrial center of the nation. Iran is a regional power , and holds an important position in international energy security and world economy as a result of its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas . Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations . The first Iranian dynasty formed during the Elamite kingdom in 2800 BCE. The Iranian Medes unified Iran into an empire in 625 BCE. They were succeeded by the Iranian Achaemenid Empire , the Hellenic Seleucid Empire and two subsequent Iranian empires, the Parthians and the Sassanids , before the Muslim conquest in 651 CE. Iranian post-Islamic dynasties and empires expanded the Persian language and culture throughout the Iranian plateau . Early Iranian dynasties which re-asserted Iranian independence included the Tahirids , Saffarids , Samanids and Buyids . The blossoming of Persian literature , philosophy , medicine , astronomy , mathematics and art became major elements of Muslim civilization and started with the Saffarids and Samanids . Iran was once again reunified as an independent state in 1501 by the Safavid dynasty —who promoted Twelver Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam . "Persia's Constitutional Revolution" established the nation's first parliament in 1906, within a constitutional monarchy . Iran officially became an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979, following the Iranian Revolution . Iran is a founding member of the UN , NAM , OIC and OPEC . The political system of Iran , based on the 1979 constitution , comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. The highest state authority is the Supreme Leader . Shia Islam is the official religion and Persian is the official language. "World Population Prospects, Table A.1" (.PDF) . 2008 revision. Mackenzie, "ĒRĀN, ĒRĀNŠAHR" in Encyclopedia Iranica Iransaga , "Persia or Iran, a brief history". "قانون اساسی جمهوری اسلامی ایران" (in Persian) .

Perso-Arabic text Iran ( / ɪ ˈ r ɑː n / or / aɪ ˈ r æ n / ; ), also known as Persia ( / ˈ p ɜː ʒ ə / or / ˈ p ɜː ʃ ə / ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Western Asia . It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia , the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , and Azerbaijan ; with Kazakhstan and Russia across the Caspian Sea ; to the northeast by Turkmenistan ; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan ; to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman ; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq . Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km (636,372 sq mi), it is the second-largest nation in the Middle East and the 18th-largest in the world; with 78.4 million inhabitants, Iran is the world's 17th most populous nation. It is the only country that has both a Caspian Sea and an Indian Ocean coastline. Iran has long been of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia and Western Asia, and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz . Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations , beginning with the formation of the Proto-Elamite and Elamite kingdom in 3200–2800 BC. The Iranian Medes unified the area into the first of many empires in 625 BC, after which it became the dominant cultural and political power in the region. Iran reached the pinnacle of its power during the Achaemenid Empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC, which at its greatest extent comprised major portions of the ancient world, stretching from parts of the Balkans ( Thrace , Paeonia and Macedonia ) in the west, to the Indus Valley in the east, making it the largest empire the world had yet seen. The empire collapsed in 330 BC following the conquests of Alexander the Great . The Parthian Empire emerged from the ashes and was succeeded by the Sasanian dynasty (Neo-Persian empire) in 224 AD, under which Iran again became one of the leading powers in the world, along with the Roman - Byzantine Empire , for a period of more than four centuries. Rashidun Muslims invaded Persia in 633 AD, and conquered it by 651 AD, largely replacing Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism . Iran thereafter played a vital role in the subsequent Islamic Golden Age , producing many influential scientists, scholars, artists, and thinkers. The emergence in 1501 of the Safavid dynasty , which promoted Twelver Shi'a Islam as the official religion, marked one of the most important turning points in Iranian and Muslim history . Starting in 1736 under Nader Shah , Iran reached its greatest territorial extent since the Sassanid Empire, briefly possessing what was arguably the most powerful empire in the world. In the course of the 19th century, Iran irrevocably lost swaths of its territories in the Caucasus region which made part of the concept of Iran for three centuries, to neighboring Imperial Russia . The Persian Constitutional Revolution of 1906 established the nation's first parliament , which operated within a constitutional monarchy . Following a coup d'état instigated by the U.K. and the U.S. in 1953, Iran gradually became very close allies with the US and the rest of the West , remained secular , but grew increasingly autocratic. Growing dissent against foreign influence and political repression culminated in the 1979 Revolution , which led to the establishment of an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979. Tehran is the capital and largest city, serving as the cultural, commercial, and industrial center of the nation. Iran is a major regional and middle power , exerting considerable influence in international energy security and the world economy through its large reserves of fossil fuels , which include the largest natural gas supply in the world and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves . Iran is a founding member of the UN , ECO , NAM , OIC and OPEC . Its unique political system , based on the 1979 constitution , combines elements of a parliamentary democracy with a religious theocracy governed by the country's clergy, wherein the Supreme Leader wields significant influence. A multicultural nation comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups, most inhabitants are Shi'ites , the Iranian rial is the currency, and Persian is the official language. The official motto of Iran is Takbir ("God is the Greatest" or "God is Great"). The de facto motto however is: "Independence, freedom, the Islamic Republic." Ethnologue. The name 'Iran' disappeared from official records of the Saffarids, Samanids, Buyids, Saljuqs and their successor. But one unofficially used the name Iran, Eranshahr, and similar national designations, particularly Mamalek-e Iran or "Iranian lands", which exactly translated the old Avestan term Ariyanam Daihunam. On the other hand, when the Safavids (not Reza Shah, as is popularly assumed) revived a national state officially known as Iran, bureaucratic usage in the Ottoman empire and even Iran itself could still refer to it by other descriptive and traditional appellations". Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire . The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language . A decree of December 1934 asked foreign countries to use the name "Iran" instead of "Persia". However, in 1959, both names were authorized. " "CESWW" – Definition of Central Eurasia" . Like China, Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations David Sacks, Oswyn Murray, Lisa R. Encyclopedia of the ancient Greek world . Iran and the Shia . World Heritage List, UNESCO World Heritage Sites official sites قانون اساسی جمهوری اسلامی ایران (in Persian) .

Country in the Middle East 32°N 53°E  /  32°N 53°E  / 32; 53 You may need rendering support to display the Persian text in this article correctly. Iran ( Irān ), also called Persia , and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran ( Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān ( listen ) ), is a country in Western Asia . It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan , to the north by the Caspian Sea , to the northeast by Turkmenistan , to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan , to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman , and to the west by Turkey and Iraq . Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city, as well as the leading economic and cultural hub; it is also the most populous city in Western Asia, with more than 8.8 million residents, and up to 15 million including the metropolitan area. With 83 million inhabitants, Iran is the world's 17th most populous country . Spanning 1,648,195 km (636,372 sq mi), it is the second largest country in the Middle East and the 17th largest in the world . Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations , beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. It was first unified by the Iranian Medes in the seventh century BC, and reached its territorial height in the sixth century BC, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire , which stretched from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley , making it one of the largest empires in history. The empire fell to Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC and was divided into several Hellenistic states. An Iranian rebellion established the Parthian Empire in the third century BC, which was succeeded in the third century AD by the Sasanian Empire , a major world power for the next four centuries. Arab Muslims conquered the empire in the seventh century AD, and the subsequent Islamization of Iran led to the decline of the once dominant Zoroastrian religion. Iran subsequently became a major center of Islamic culture and learning, with its art, literature, philosophy, and architecture spreading across the Muslim world and beyond during the Islamic Golden Age . Over the next two centuries, a series of native Muslim dynasties emerged before the Seljuq Turks and the Ilkhanate Mongols conquered the region. In the 15th century, the native Safavids reestablished a unified Iranian state and national identity, with the country's conversion to Shia Islam marking a turning point in Iranian and Muslim history . Under the reign of Nader Shah in the 18th century, Iran once again became a major world power, though by the 19th century a series of conflicts with the Russian Empire led to significant territorial losses. However, Iran would remain one of the few non-European states to avoid colonization by Europe. The early 20th century saw the Persian Constitutional Revolution , which created the country's first constitutional monarchy and legislature , and a gradual move towards greater democracy. Efforts to nationalize its fossil fuel supply from Western companies led to an Anglo-American coup in 1953 , which resulted in greater autocratic rule under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and growing Western political influence. He went on to launch a far-reaching series of reforms in 1963 , which included industrial growth, infrastructure expansion, land reforms, and increased women's rights . However, widespread dissatisfaction with the monarchy culminated in the Iranian Revolution , which established the current Islamic Republic in 1979. Iran was invaded by Iraq in 1980, leading to a bloody and protracted war that lasted for almost eight years, and ended in a stalemate with devastating losses for both sides. Iran's political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy , with the ultimate authority vested in an autocratic " Supreme Leader ". The Iranian government is widely considered to be authoritarian , with significant constraints and abuses against human rights and civil liberties, including the violent suppression of mass protests, unfair elections , and unequal rights for women and children . Iran is a founding member of the UN , ECO , OIC , and OPEC . It is a major regional and middle power , and its large reserves of fossil fuels —including the world's largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves —exert considerable influence in international energy security and the world economy . The country's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites , the third largest number in Asia and 10th largest in the world. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups , the largest being Persians , Azeris , Kurds , Mazandaranis and Lurs . The official motto of Iran is Takbir ('God is the Greatest' or 'God is Great'). The de facto motto however is: 'Independence, freedom, the Islamic Republic. ' "Iran - Languages" . The name 'Iran' disappeared from official records of the Saffarids, Samanids, Buyids, Saljuqs and their successor. But one unofficially used the name Iran, Eranshahr, and similar national designations, particularly Mamalek-e Iran or 'Iranian lands', which exactly translated the old Avestan term Ariyanam Daihunam. On the other hand, when the Safavids (not Reza Shah, as is popularly assumed) revived a national state officially known as Iran, bureaucratic usage in the Ottoman empire and even Iran itself could still refer to it by other descriptive and traditional appellations. Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire . United Nations Development Programme . 10 December 2019 . " "Iran" and "Persia" are synonymous" The former has always been used by the Iranian speaking peoples themselves, while the latter has served as the international name of the country in various languages " 'CESWW' – Definition of Central Eurasia" . A Case study of Tehran". 2019 5th International Conference on Web Research (ICWR) . Encyclopedia of the ancient Greek world . The Jews of Arab Lands . Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.). Iran: The Illusion of Power . Human Rights Watch . 28 October 2015 . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Country in West Asia This article is about the country in West Asia. You may need rendering support to display the Persian text in this article correctly. Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran ( IRI ) and also known as Persia , is a country in West Asia . It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey , Azerbaijan , and Armenia to the northwest, Russia and 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. Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population and is the sixth-largest country in Asia. Iran is officially an Islamic republic , divided into five regions with 31 provinces . Tehran is the nation's capital, largest city and financial center. A cradle of civilization , Iran was inhabited by the Elamites beginning 3200 BCE. A large part of Iran was first unified as a political entity by the Medes under Cyaxares in the 7th century BCE and reached its territorial height in the 6th century BCE, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire . Alexander the Great conquered the empire in the 4th century BCE. An Iranian rebellion in the 3rd century BCE established the Parthian Empire , which later liberated the country. In the 3rd century CE, the Parthians were succeeded by the Sasanian Empire , whose era was considered a golden age in the history of Iranian civilization. Ancient Iran saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanization, religion and administration. Once a center for Zoroastrianism , Muslims conquered the region in the 7th century, leading to the Islamization of Iran . The literature , philosophy , mathematics, medicine , astronomy and art which 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 Seljuk and Khwarazmian rule, Mongol conquests and the Timurid Renaissance from the 11th to 14th centuries. In the 16th century, the native Safavid dynasty re-established a unified Iranian state with Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion . During the Afsharid Empire in the 18th century, Iran was a leading world power, but it lost this status 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 nationalize the oil industry led to the Anglo-American coup in 1953 . The Iranian Revolution in 1979 overthrew the monarchy, and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini , the country's first supreme leader . In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran , sparking the eight-year-long Iran–Iraq War which ended in a stalemate. Iran is a threshold state with one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs it claims is solely for civilian purposes. This claim has been disputed by Israel and the Western world . In 2025, Israeli strikes on Iran escalated tensions into the Iran–Israel war . Iran is an Islamic theocracy governed by a combination of elected and unelected institutions, with ultimate authority vested in the Supreme Leader . The political system blends elements of republican governance with clerical oversight, and while it holds elections , key offices—including the head of state and military—are not subject to public vote. The Iranian government has been regarded by some as authoritarian and criticized for its human rights record , including restrictions on freedom of assembly , expression , and the press , as well as its treatment of women , ethnic minorities , and political dissidents . International observers have raised concerns over the fairness of its electoral processes, especially the vetting of candidates by unelected bodies such as the Guardian Council . Iran maintains a centrally planned economy with significant state ownership in key sectors, though private enterprise exists alongside. The country identifies as a Shia Islamic state , with Twelver Ja'fari jurisprudence enshrined in its constitution . Iran is a major regional power , due to its large reserves of fossil fuels (including the world's second largest natural gas supply and third largest proven oil reserves ), its geopolitically significant location, and its role as the world's focal point of Shia Islam . 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 has 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the 10th-highest in the world ) and ranks 5th in intangible cultural heritage or human treasures. It has a multi-ethnic population. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). International Monetary Fund . 22 April 2025 . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).