Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and historically known as Persia, is a country in West Asia bordering several nations including Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It also has coastlines along the Caspian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf. With a population of 92 million, Iran ranks as the 17th largest country in the world by both population and geographic area, and is the sixth-largest country in Asia. The country is divided into 31 provinces across five regions, with Tehran serving as its capital, largest city, and financial hub.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that cooperation with the United States is not possible as long as it continues to support Israel. He emphasized that the conflict between Iran and the US will persist because of US support.
In 1905, the Persian Constitutional Revolution began, leading to the establishment of an Iranian parliament.
In 1911, the Persian Constitutional Revolution ended, resulting in the establishment of an Iranian parliament.
After the 1921 coup d'état, the Qajar dynasty was replaced with the Pahlavi dynasty, founded by Reza Shah.
In 1925, Reza Shah established the Pahlavi dynasty after ousting the last Qajar Shah.
Since 1925, all male citizens in Iran aged 18 must serve around 14 months in the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces (IRIAF) or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In 1928, Kamal-ol-molk established a new Iranian school of fine art, impacting painting norms and adopting a naturalistic style.
In 1933, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra was founded.
In August 1941, the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran occurred in Operation Countenance, leading to the occupation of Iran and the deposition of Reza Shah.
In 1941, Reza Shah was forced to abdicate due to the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.
In 1941, the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran occurred, leading to the rise of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
In 1943, the Allied "Big Three" issued the Tehran Declaration at the Tehran Conference, guaranteeing the post-war independence and boundaries of Iran.
Iran's National Olympic Committee was founded in 1947.
In 1949, Tehran's first modern art gallery, Apadana, was opened by Mahmud Javadipur, Hosein Kazemi, and Hushang Ajudani.
In the late 1940s, specifically in 1949, Ruhollah Khaleqi founded the country's first national music society and established the School of National Music.
From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of Iran's population increased from 27% to 60%.
In 1951, the Iranian parliament, under Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, voted to nationalize the British-owned oil industry, leading to the Abadan Crisis.
In 1952, Mosaddegh was removed from power but was quickly re-appointed by the Shah, due to a popular uprising in support of the premier.
In 1952, the Iranian government assumed control of commercial fishing.
In August 1953, after a failed military coup by Imperial Guard Colonel Nematollah Nassiri, Mosaddegh forced the Shah into a brief exile.
In 1953, the Anglo-American coup took place following Mohammad Mosaddegh's attempts to nationalize the oil industry.
In 1956, Iran's population was about 19 million.
In 1960, Ali Javan co-invented the first gas laser.
In 1974, Iran became the first country in West Asia to host the Asian Games.
Between 1976 and 2004, the combined fish take from inland waters by the state and private sectors increased from 1,100 tons to 110,175 tons.
By 1978, the Shah had become wildly unpopular among the Iranian people, leading to daily demonstrations, martial law, and the Black Friday incident where security forces opened fire on protestors.
On 31 March 1979, a referendum was held in Iran, which overwhelmingly approved the transition from monarchy to an Islamic republic.
On 4 November 1979, Iranian students seized US embassy personnel, holding 52 hostages.
In December 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini became Supreme Leader of Iran, following the drafting of the new theocratic constitution.
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 seized in November 1979 were released after being held for 444 days.
In 2024, a UN Special Rapporteur investigation concluded that Iran committed genocide against its political and religious minorities during 1981–1982 massacres and 1988 mass executions.
In 1982, Iran began building its network of state and non-state actors by establishing Hezbollah in Lebanon, marking the beginning of Iran's expanded regional influence.
In 1982, Iranian forces pushed the Iraqi army back into Iraq.
In 2024, a UN Special Rapporteur investigation concluded that Iran committed genocide against its political and religious minorities during 1981–1982 massacres and 1988 mass executions.
In 2024, a UN Special Rapporteur investigation concluded that Iran committed genocide against its political and religious minorities during 1981–1982 massacres and 1988 mass executions.
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 focused on rebuilding the Iranian economy with pro-business policies.
In 1989, during the Iranian constitutional referendum, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) was formed to protect national interests, the revolution, territorial integrity, and national sovereignty, as mandated by Article 176 of the Constitution.
Since 1991, 2024 Iranian attack on Israel was the first direct attack by a state force.
Iran increased its publication output nearly tenfold from 1996 through 2004.
In 1997, moderate reformist Mohammad Khatami succeeded Rafsanjani, advocating for freedom of expression and constructive diplomatic relations.
Around the year 2000 BC, the Kura–Araxes culture existed in northwestern Iran and the Caucasus.
In 2000, Juan José Linz characterized the Iranian regime as combining the ideological bent of totalitarianism with the limited pluralism of authoritarianism.
From 2001 to 2011, Iran exported over $20 billion worth of technical and engineering services.
From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of Iran's population increased from 27% to 60%.
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 made up the remaining 1%.
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iran began shaping Iraq's politics and financed and trained militia groups.
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iran expanded its influence into Iraq.
In 2003, the Bam earthquake occurred in Iran, causing widespread devastation.
Between 1976 and 2004, the combined fish take from inland waters by the state and private sectors increased from 1,100 tons to 110,175 tons.
From 2004 onwards, during Yemen's civil war, Iran provided military support to the Houthis, a Zaydi Shia movement fighting Yemen's Sunni government.
In 2004, Iran opened its first wind-powered and geothermal plants.
Iran increased its publication output nearly tenfold from 1996 through 2004, and ranked first in output growth rate, followed by China.
The Iranian Space Agency was established in 2004.
In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a conservative populist and nationalist, was elected president of Iran.
In 2006, Iran's election results were widely disputed, leading to protests.
In 2006, Iranian scientists successfully cloned a sheep at the Royan Research Centre in Tehran.
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 of the population by ethnicity: 65% Persians, 16% Azerbaijanis, 7% Kurds, 6% Lurs, 2% Arabs, 2% Balochis, 1% Turkic tribal groups, and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups 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 placed its domestically built satellite Omid into orbit on the 30th anniversary of the revolution, 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 operating.
Since 2009, direct access to many worldwide mainstream websites has been blocked in Iran, including Facebook.
In 2010, Iran initiated an economic reform plan to gradually cut subsidies and replace them with targeted social assistance, aiming to move towards free market prices and increase productivity and social justice.
In 2010, the Iranian humanoid robot Sorena 2, designed by engineers at the University of Tehran, was unveiled.
In 2010, the traditional skills of carpet weaving in Fars province and Kashan were inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Iran was the first country to introduce a national basic income in Autumn 2010.
The government's goal of 53 GW of installed capacity by 2010 was 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.
In 2011, some 66 Iranian industrial companies were carrying out projects in 27 countries.
In 2011, the men's national volleyball team won the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship.
The World Factbook at 2011 gives the same figures of the 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 made up the remaining 1%.
According to a study by SCImago in 2012, Iran would rank fourth in research output by 2018, if the trend persisted.
In 2013, centrist and reformist Hassan Rouhani was elected president of Iran, encouraging personal freedom and improved diplomatic relations.
In 2013, the men's national volleyball team won the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship.
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.
From 2014, the instability in Yemen allowed Iran to build strong alliances and footholds in the country.
In 2014, Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman, and Iranian, to receive the Fields Medal, the highest prize in mathematics.
In 2015, Iran and the P5+1 agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), aiming to end economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on producing enriched uranium.
In 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached in Vienna between Iran, the P5+1, and the EU.
As of 2016, literacy among people aged 15 and older in Iran was 86%, with men (90%) significantly more literate than women (81%).
In 2016, Iran launched Simorgh, the successor of Safir.
In 2016, about 90% of Iranians had health insurance.
The 2017–18 Iranian protests swept across the country in response to the economic and political situation, resulting in 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 about 1.39%.
In 2018, the US under President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed new sanctions on Iran.
In 2018, the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under the Trump administration and reimposed sanctions, which was met with resistance by Iran and other members of the P5+1.
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 containing 50 bn barrels.
In 2019, the Iranian government registered the Vank Cathedral, in Isfahan, as a World Heritage Site.
In 2019, tourism in Iran had been rapidly growing, reaching nearly 9 million foreign visitors, making it the world's third fastest-growing tourism destination.
On 15 November 2019, protests started in Ahvaz and spread across Iran after the government announced fuel price increases of up to 300%. The protests were met with a week-long internet shutdown and a severe governmental crackdown.
On 8 January 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, a Boeing 737–800, was shot down by the IRGC shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 occupants and leading to protests.
As of 2020, 70 million Iranians use high-speed mobile internet.
By 2020, Iran announced it would no longer observe any limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
In 2020, IRGC general Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by the US, heightening tensions between them, followed by Iran's retaliation against US airbases in Iraq.
Since January 2021, Iranian authorities have blocked several social media platforms, contributing to the country's strict internet censorship.
In 2021, Ebrahim Raisi was elected president of Iran, succeeding Rouhani.
In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement to strengthen relations, including "political, strategic and economic" components.
In 2021, Iran's military spending increased for the first time in four years, reaching $24.6 billion, which represented 2.3% of the national GDP. Funding for the IRGC accounted for 34% of Iran's total military spending in 2021.
In 2021, Iranian tourists spent $33 billion on domestic tourism.
In August 2022, Russia launched another Iranian remote-sensing satellite, Khayyam, into orbit from Kazakhstan.
On 16 September 2022, protests against the government began after Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest by the Guidance Patrol, known as the "morality police".
In 2022, Iran faced chronic budget deficits partly due to large state subsidies, totaling $100 billion for energy alone.
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 members of the Baháʼí Faith.
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 reached about 85 million.
As of November 2023, Iran had uranium enriched up to 60% fissile content, close to weapon grade, leading some analysts to regard Iran as a de facto nuclear power.
In November 2023, following Russia's purchase of Iranian drones during the invasion of Ukraine, the IRIAF finalized arrangements to acquire Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, air defense and 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.
In 2023, Iran built 1.188 million cars, showing a 12% growth compared to the previous years.
In 2023, Iran's tourism experienced a 43% growth, attracting 6 million foreign tourists. Also in 2023, the government ended visa requirements for 60 countries.
In the first seven months of 2023, travelers from other West Asian countries visiting Iran grew by 31%.
Media reports from 2023 indicate that Iran continues to rank among the countries with the highest retraction rates.
Since 2023, Iran's economic struggles and the weakening of its key allies have left the Iranian government weakened and isolated.
In January 2024, Iran launched the Soraya satellite into its highest orbit yet (750 km) using the Qaem 100 rocket. The Mahda, Kayan, and Hatef satellites were also successfully launched simultaneously using the Simorgh carrier rocket, marking the first time the country sent three satellites into space at once.
In February 2024, Iran launched its domestically developed imaging satellite, Pars 1, from Russia into orbit.
In April 2024, an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus resulted in an IRGC commander's death, and Iran retaliated with UAVs, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
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 December 2024, the potential fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a close ally of Iran, represented a severe 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, and small-scale private ventures. The economy relies heavily on its hydrocarbon sector, with 10% of the world's oil reserves and 15% of gas reserves.
Despite being an energy superpower as of 2024-2025 Iran suffers from an energy crisis, manifested by many power outages.
In 2024, Iran was ranked 158th in electoral democracy according to V-Dem Democracy Indices, classifying it as an electoral autocracy under the Regimes of the World classification.
In 2024, Iran was ranked 16th in global car manufacturing, ahead of the UK, Italy, and Russia.
In 2024, a UN Special Rapporteur investigation concluded that Iran committed genocide against its political and religious minorities during 1981–1982 massacres and 1988 mass executions.
Iran was ranked 64th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.
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, based on Karim Sadjadpour's assessment, that Iran has two parallel systems: one controlled by the military and intelligence forces reporting to the Rahbar, and another run by diplomats and politicians who engage with Western media but have limited knowledge of Iran's nuclear program.
As of April 2025, the men's national football team ranks 2nd in Asia and 18th in the FIFA World Rankings.
In May 2025, the Iranian government ordered the mass deportation of an estimated 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees living in Iran.
In June 2025, Israel launched strikes across Iran, leading to retaliatory missile strikes and a brief direct conflict, followed by a ceasefire on 24 June after US intervention.
As of 2025, Iran was home to an estimated 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees.
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 into the Iran–Israel war.
In early 2025, Iran was rapidly advancing its nuclear program, leading to stalled negotiations with the US and IAEA finding Iran non-compliant.
Iran plans to invest $500 billion in oil by 2025.
Iran projects an investment of $32 billion in the tourism sector by 2026.
Studies project that Iran's population growth will continue to slow until it stabilizes at around 105 million by 2050.
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