Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia bordering several nations and bodies of water. It is the 17th largest country in both area and population globally and the sixth-largest in Asia. Administratively, Iran is divided into five regions and 31 provinces. Tehran serves as the capital, largest city, and financial hub of the nation.
In 1904, Mirza Ebrahim (Sahhaf Bashi) opened the first public cinema in Tehran.
In 1905, the Persian Constitutional Revolution began, leading to the establishment of an Iranian parliament.
The Persian Constitutional Revolution ended in 1911.
Following the 1921 coup d'état, the Qajar dynasty was replaced by the Pahlavi dynasty.
In 1925, Reza Shah established the Pahlavi dynasty after ousting the last Qajar Shah.
Since 1925, all male Iranian citizens aged 18 have been required to serve approximately 14 months in the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces (IRIAF) or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In 1928, a new Iranian school of fine art was established by Kamal-ol-molk.
In 1930, the first Iranian feature film, Abi and Rabi, a silent comedy directed by Ovanes Ohanian, was released.
In 1932, the first Iranian sound film, Lor Girl, was produced by Ardeshir Irani and Abd-ol-Hosein Sepanta.
In 1933, Iran's first symphony orchestra, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, was founded.
In August 1941, the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, known as Operation Countenance, occurred after Iran rejected demands to expel German residents.
In 1941, Reza Shah was forced to abdicate due to the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.
In 1943, the Allied "Big Three"—Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill—issued the Tehran Declaration at the Tehran Conference to guarantee Iran's post-war independence and boundaries.
From 1947 to 1951, Iran experienced political instability with the rise and fall of six prime ministers.
Iran's National Olympic Committee was founded in 1947.
By the late 1940s, Ruhollah Khaleqi founded the country's first national music society and established the School of National Music in 1949.
In 1949, Tehran's first modern art gallery, Apadana, was opened by Mahmud Javadipur, Hosein Kazemi, and Hushang Ajudani.
From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of Iran's population increased from 27% to 60%, marking one of the highest urban growth rates globally.
From 1947 to 1951, Iran experienced political instability with the rise and fall of six prime ministers.
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.
In 1952, Mosaddeq was removed from power but quickly re-appointed by the Shah, due to a popular uprising in support of the premier.
In 1952, the government of Iran assumed control of commercial fishing operations, marking a significant shift in the management of fisheries.
In August 1953, Prime Minister Mosaddeq forced the Shah into a brief exile after a failed military coup by Imperial Guard Colonel Nematollah Nassiri.
In 1953, an Anglo-American coup occurred in response to Mohammad Mosaddegh's attempts to nationalize the oil industry.
Attempts to organise a film festival, which had begun in 1954 within the Golrizan Festival
By 1956, Iran's population was at 19 million.
In 1960, Ali Javan co-invented the first gas laser, contributing to advancements in laser technology.
In 1962, Iran Air, the national airline, was founded to operate domestic and international flights.
By 1965, the influential Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults was established.
In 1969, with the screening of the films Qeysar and The Cow, directed by Masoud Kimiai and Dariush Mehrjui respectively, alternative films set out to establish their status in the film industry and also the festival of Sepas was held.
In 1973, Attempts resulted in the formation of Tehran's World Film Festival.
In 1974, Iran became the first country in West Asia to host the Asian Games.
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.
On 4 November 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began after Iranian students seized US embassy personnel, holding 52 hostages.
In December 1979, Iran approved a new theocratic constitution, establishing Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader.
In 1979, the Iranian Revolution overthrew the monarchy, leading to the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran by Ruhollah Khomeini.
In January 1981, the 52 hostages from the Iran hostage crisis were released after being held for 444 days.
In 1982, Iran began building its network of state and non-state actors, starting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
After the Iranian Revolution, it took until 1985 to found the MCHTH (Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts).
Following Khomeini's death on 3 June 1989, Ali Khamenei was named as the next Supreme Leader after being appointed by a 25-man Constitutional Reform Council.
In 1989, President Akbar Rafsanjani concentrated on a pro-business policy of rebuilding the economy, without breaking with the ideology of the revolution.
In 1989, during the Iranian constitutional referendum, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) was formed to protect national interests and sovereignty.
In 1990, the MCHTH held the first scientific meeting on anthropology and folklore.
In April 2024, the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killed an IRGC commander. Iran retaliated with UAVs, cruise and ballistic missiles; 9 hit Israel. It was the first time since 1991, Israel was directly attacked by a state force.
In 1995, the Tehran–Bandar-Abbas railroad was opened, connecting Bandar-Abbas to the railroad system of Central Asia via Tehran and Mashhad.
Iran increased its publication output nearly tenfold from 1996 through 2004, and ranked first in output growth rate, followed by China.
In 1997, Kiarostami won the Palme d'Or for Taste of Cherry, planting Iran firmly on the map of world cinema.
In 1997, moderate reformist Mohammad Khatami succeeded Rafsanjani as president.
In 2000, Juan José Linz described the Iranian regime as a combination of totalitarianism's ideological bent with authoritarianism's limited pluralism.
Over the period 2001–2011, Iran exported over $20 billion worth of technical and engineering services, bolstered by local raw materials, mineral reserves, and experienced manpower.
From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of Iran's population increased from 27% to 60%, marking one of the highest urban growth rates globally.
According to a 2003 estimate, Persians made up 51% of the population, while Azerbaijanis made up 24%, Gilaks and Mazenderanis 8%, Kurds 7%, Arabs 3%, Lurs 2%, Balochis 2%, Turkmens 2% and other groups 1%.
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iran began financing and training militia groups in Iraq.
In 2003, the Bam earthquake occurred in Iran, highlighting the devastating potential of shallow-focus earthquakes in the seismically active area.
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.
In 2004, Iran inaugurated its first wind-powered and geothermal plants, signaling a move towards diversifying its energy sources.
Iran increased its publication output nearly tenfold from 1996 through 2004, and ranked first in output growth rate, followed by China.
Since 2004, during Yemen's civil war, Iran has provided military support to the Houthis.
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) was established in 2004 to oversee and coordinate space-related activities in the country.
In 2005, conservative populist and nationalist candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president.
In 2006, 6 films represented Iranian cinema at Berlin Film Festival, which critics considered a remarkable event in Iranian cinema.
In 2006, Iranian scientists successfully cloned a sheep at the Royan Research Centre in Tehran, showcasing advances in biomedical sciences.
The 2006 election results in Iran were widely disputed, resulting in protests.
Since 2007, the men's national basketball team has won three Asian Championships.
From 2008 to 2009, Iran leaped to 28th place from 69th in annual industrial production growth rate.
The Library of Congress in 2008 issued slightly different estimates: 65% Persians (also including Gilaks and Mazenderanis), 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%.
From 2008 to 2009, Iran leaped to 28th place from 69th in annual industrial production growth rate.
In 2009, Iran became an orbital-launch-capable nation and launched its domestically built satellite Omid into orbit on the 30th anniversary of the Revolution, using its first expendable launch vehicle Safir, becoming the 9th country capable of both producing a satellite and sending it into space from a domestically made launcher.
In 2009, Iran's first solar thermal plant began operations, further expanding the country's renewable energy capabilities.
Nowruz was registered on the UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
In 2010, Iran's economic reform plan aimed to cut subsidies gradually and replace them with targeted social assistance, moving towards free market prices and increased productivity.
In 2010, The Iranian humanoid robot Sorena 2, which was designed by engineers at the University of Tehran, was unveiled. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has placed the name of Surena among the five most prominent robots, after analysing its performance.
In 2010, the "traditional skills of carpet weaving" in Fars Province and Kashan were inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
In Autumn 2010, Iran was the first country to introduce a national basic income.
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.
In 2011, Iran's first nuclear power plant went online, marking a significant milestone in its energy sector.
In 2011, approximately 66 Iranian industrial companies were involved in projects across 27 countries, showcasing the country's growing engineering and technical service capabilities.
Iran's men's national volleyball team won the 2011 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship.
According to a study by SCImago in 2012, Iran would rank fourth in research output by 2018, if the trend persisted.
In 2012, Asghar Farhadi received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for A Separation, representing Iran for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2013, centrist and reformist Hassan Rouhani was elected president.
In 2013, the Setad, a state-owned enterprise under the Rahbar, was valued at $95 billion.
Iran's men's national volleyball team won the 2013 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship.
Beginning in 2014, instability in Yemen provided Iran with opportunities to build strong alliances and footholds beyond its borders.
Following Iraq's struggle against ISIS in 2014, companies linked to the IRGC such as Khatam al-Anbiya, started building infrastructure in Iraq.
In 2014, Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman, and Iranian, to receive the Fields Medal, the highest prize in mathematics, recognizing her contributions to the field.
In 2015, Iran and the P5+1 agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan on Action (JCPOA), seeking to end economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on enriched uranium production.
In 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached in Vienna between Iran, the P5+1, and the EU.
As of 2016, the literacy rate among people aged 15 and older in Iran was 86%, with men (90%) significantly more literate than women (81%).
In 2016, about 90% of Iranians had health insurance.
In 2017, Asghar Farhadi received an Academy Award for The Salesman, representing Iran for Best Foreign Language Film.
The 2017–18 Iranian protests swept across the country in response to the economic and political situation, leading to thousands of arrests.
According to a study by SCImago in 2012, Iran would rank fourth in research output by 2018, if the trend persisted.
In 2018, Iran's population growth rate was approximately 1.39%, reflecting a slowdown due to a declining fertility rate.
In 2018, the US under Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, and new sanctions were imposed.
In 2018, the United States, under the Trump administration, withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
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.
Around 25 million people visited the museums in Iran in 2019.
In 2019, Iran discovered a southern oil field of 50 bn barrels.
In 2019, the Iranian government registered the Vank Cathedral, in Isfahan, as a World Heritage Site.
The 2019–20 Iranian protests started on 15 November in Ahvaz due to fuel price increases, resulting in a week-long Internet shutdown and a severe government crackdown.
On 8 January 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by the IRGC shortly after takeoff, killing all 176 occupants. The government later admitted to the shootdown, calling it a "human error".
As of 2020, 70 million Iranians use high-speed mobile internet.
By 2020, Iran announced it would no longer observe any limits set by the JCPOA agreement.
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.
In 2020, IRGC general Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by the US, heightening tensions, and Iran retaliated against US airbases in Iraq.
In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement to strengthen relations in political, strategic, and economic areas.
In 2021, Iran's military spending increased to $24.6 billion, accounting for 2.3% of the national GDP, with the IRGC receiving 34% of the total military budget.
In 2021, Iranian tourists spent $33 billion on domestic tourism, showcasing one of the world's largest domestic tourism markets.
In August 2022, Russia launched the Iranian remote-sensing Khayyam satellite into orbit from Kazakhstan, reflecting scientific cooperation between the countries.
On 16 September 2022, protests against the Iranian government began after Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest by the Guidance Patrol.
In 2022, a group of UN experts urged Iran to stop the "systematic persecution" of religious minorities, noting arrests, university bans, and home demolitions targeting the Baháʼí Faith.
In 2022, state subsidies in Iran, including foodstuffs and petrol, totalled $100 billion for energy alone.
In 2022, tourism in Iran expanded its share to 5% of the economy.
The unemployment rate in Iran was 9% in 2022.
By February 2023, Iran's population had grown to about 85 million.
As of November 2023, Iran has enriched uranium to up to 60% fissile content, approaching weapon grade.
In November 2023, Iran finalized arrangements to acquire Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and air defence/missile systems.
As of 2023, Iran produced 4% of the world's crude oil (3.6 million barrels per day), generating US$36bn of export revenue and is the main source of foreign currency.
In 2023, Iran's economic struggles and the collapse of its key allies and proxies began, weakening and isolating the Iranian government.
In 2023, Iran's tourism experienced a growth of 43%, attracting 6 million foreign tourists, and the government ended visa requirements for 60 countries.
Media reports from 2023 indicate that Iran continues to rank among the countries with the highest retraction rates in scientific publications.
In January 2024, Iran launched the Soraya satellite into its highest orbit yet (750 km) using the Qaem 100 rocket. Iran also successfully launched 3 indigenous satellites, The Mahda, Kayan and Hatef, into orbit using the Simorgh carrier rocket. It was the first time in the country's history that it simultaneously sent three satellites into space. The three satellites are designed for testing advanced satellite subsystems, space-based positioning technology, and narrowband communication.
In February 2024, Iran launched its domestically developed imaging satellite, Pars 1, from Russia into orbit.
In April 2024, the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killed an IRGC commander. Iran retaliated with UAVs, cruise and ballistic missiles; 9 hit Israel.
In April 2024, the NIOC discovered 10 giant shale oil deposits, totaling 2.6 bn barrels.
In May 2024, President Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash.
On 1 October 2024, Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan. On 27 October, Israel struck Iranian military sites.
In December 2024, the potential fall of the Assad regime in Syria represented a setback for Iran's political influence in the region.
As of 2024, Iran has the world's 19th largest economy (by PPP), characterized by a mixture of central planning, state ownership, agriculture, and small-scale private ventures.
In 2024, Iran was ranked 158th in electoral democracy according to V-Dem Democracy Indices, classifying it as an electoral autocracy.
In 2024, Iran was ranked 16th in global car manufacturing, surpassing the UK, Italy, and Russia.
In 2024, Iran was ranked 64th in the Global Innovation Index.
As of January 2025, the men's national volleyball team is the 2nd strongest in Asia, and 15th in the FIVB World Rankings.
In February 2025, The New York Times reported Karim Sadjadpour's analysis of Iran having two parallel systems: one controlled by the military/intelligence, and another by diplomats/politicians.
As of April 2025, the men's national football team ranks 2nd in Asia and 18th in the FIFA World Rankings.
On 13 June 2025, Israel launched strikes across Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and killing top military leaders. Early on 22 June, the United States joined the war and struck the Iranian nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Despite being an energy superpower as of 2024-2025 Iran suffers from an energy crisis, manifested by many power outages.
In 2025, Israeli strikes on Iran escalated tensions, leading to the Iran–Israel war.
In early 2025, Iran was rapidly advancing its nuclear program, leading to stalled negotiations with the US and non-compliance findings by the IAEA.
Iran plans to invest $500 billion in oil by 2025.
Iran projects an investment of $32 billion in the tourism sector by 2026, indicating a strong focus on developing its tourism infrastructure.
Due to its young population, studies project that the growth will continue to slow until it stabilises at around 105 million by 2050.
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