Iran
An ancient Persian civilization on a high desert plateau
Iran is the modern heir to one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations, the Persia of Cyrus and Darius, of poets like Hafez and Rumi, and of an artistic tradition stretching back millennia. Strategically straddling the Middle East and Central Asia, it commands the northern shore of the Persian Gulf and sits atop some of the planet's largest oil and gas reserves. A high, arid plateau ringed by mountains, it is a country of deep cultural pride and pervasive geopolitical weight, governed since 1979 as an Islamic republic and locked in tension with much of the West.
Iran is defined by its high interior plateau, hemmed by mountain ranges, the Zagros sweeping down the west and the Alborz arcing across the north along the Caspian Sea. The highest point, Mount Damavand, a dormant volcano in the Alborz, rises 5,610 meters, the tallest peak in the Middle East. Two great deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, fill the interior, the latter among the hottest places on Earth. The Caspian coast is lush and humid, while most of the country is dry. The climate is largely arid and continental, with hot summers and cold mountain winters.
The Achaemenid Empire founded by Cyrus the Great in the sixth century BCE was the first of a line of Persian empires that shaped art, governance, and religion across the ancient world. Islam arrived in the seventh century, and the Safavids made Shia Islam the state faith. The twentieth century brought the Pahlavi monarchy, modernization, and the 1979 revolution that established the Islamic Republic. Since February 2026 Iran has been at war with the United States and Israel, whose opening strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, succeeded by his son Mojtaba. Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States blockades its ports, and as of October 2026 mediated talks remain stalled.