Factbook dossier
Background
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a religious scholar known as the Supreme Leader, who is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts -- an elected 88-member body of clerics. US-Iran relations became strained when Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostage until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. From 1980 to 1988, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. After the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a political reform campaign in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated, but conservative politicians blocked reform measures while increasing repression. Municipal and legislative elections in 2003 and 2004 saw conservatives reestablish control over Iran's elected government institutions, culminating in the 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His reelection in 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud, and the protests persisted until 2011. In 2013, Iranians elected to the…
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Area
total : 1,648,195 sq km land: 1,531,595 sq km water: 116,600 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Natural hazards
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
Population
total: 89,177,357 (2025 est.) male: 45,098,223 female: 44,079,134
Ethnic groups
Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen, and Turkic tribes
Languages
Persian Farsi (official), Azeri and other Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic major-language sample(s): چکیده نامه جهان، منبعی ضروری برای کسب اطلاعات کلی جهان (Persian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim (official) 98.5%, Christian 0.7%, Baha'i 0.3%, agnostic 0.3%, other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Hindu) 0.2% (2020 est.)
Environmental issues
air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste
Government type
theocratic republic
Capital
name: Tehran geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 51 25 E time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC) daylight saving time: does not observe daylight savings time etymology: the name probably means "flat" or "lower," referring to its location in the foothills of the Elburz Mountains
Executive branch
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) head of government: President Masoud PEZESHKIAN (since 30 July 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries election/appointment process: supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of Experts; president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term and an additional nonconsecutive term) most recent election date: 28 June 2024, with runoff held on 5 July 2024 election results: 2024: first round results - Masoud PEZESHKIAN (independent) 44.4%, Saeed JALILI (Front of Islamic Revolution Stability) 40.4%, Mohammad Baqer QAKIBAF (Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran) 14.3%, other 0.9%; second round results - Masoud PEZESHKIAN elected; Masoud PEZESHKIAN 54.8%, Saeed JALILI 45.2% 2021: Ebrahim RAISI elected president; percent of vote - Ebrahim RAISI (independent) 72.4%, Mohsen REZAI (RFII) 13.8%, Abbdolnaser HEMATI (ECP) 9.8%, Amir-Hosein Qazizadeh-HASHEMI (Islamic Law Party) 4% note: presidential election held early due to the death of President Ebrahim RAISI in a helicopter accident in May 2024
Legislative branch
legislature name: Islamic Parliament of Iran (Majles Shoraye Eslami) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 290 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 3/1/2024 to 5/10/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 4.9% expected date of next election: February 2028 note: all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Council of Guardians, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.486 trillion (2024 est.) $1.442 trillion (2023 est.) $1.373 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$16,200 (2024 est.) $15,900 (2023 est.) $15,300 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
32.5% (2024 est.) 44.6% (2023 est.) 43.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
China 35%, Turkey 16%, India 8%, Pakistan 7%, Armenia 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 34%, UAE 20%, Turkey 11%, Brazil 8%, Germany 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah): Artesh: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces IRGC: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2025) note 1: the Artesh primarily focuses on defending Iran s borders and territorial waters from external threats, while the IRGC has a broader mission to defend the Iranian revolution from any foreign or domestic threat note 2: the Artesh Navy operates Iran s larger warships and operates in the Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, and deep waters in the region and beyond; the IRGC Navy has responsibility for the closer-in waters of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz note 3: the Basij is a volunteer paramilitary group, which sometimes acts as an auxiliary law enforcement unit for the IRGC; it is formally known as the Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed and also known as the Popular Mobilization Army note 4: the Ministry of Intelligence and Security and law enforcement forces under the Interior Ministry, which report to the president, and the IRGC, which reports to the supreme leader, share responsibility for law enforcement and maintaining order note 5: the FARAJA is the uniformed police of Iran; it includes branches for public security, traffic control, anti-narcotics, special forces (riot control, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, etc), intelligence, and criminal investigations; the FARAJA also has responsibility for border security (Border Guard Command)
Military expenditures
2% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)