Iran
Reading
• Wikipedia articles
• CIA World Factbook
Middle East
Topography of Iran
Basics
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Officially, the Islamic Republic of Iran
Also known as Persia
2nd largest in ME with 78.4m population
Home of one of the world’s oldest
civilization
History
• The Achaemenid empire (550 BCE-)
– Reached the pinnacle of power
– Founded Cyrus the Great
– The empire had a centralized, bureaucratic
administration under the Emperor and a large
professional army and civil services, inspiring similar
developments in later empires.
• Invasion of Alexander the Great (334 BC)
• The Seleucid Empire
• The Sassanid Empire (224 AD)
– Byzantine-Persian Wars
– Both defeated by invading Muslim Arabs
Achaemenid Empire
History
• Arab invasion (7th century)
– Rashidun Caliphate
– Conversion to Islam
– Arabization was never successful
• The Khwarezmian Empire
– Turkic mamluk origin
• Mongol invasion (1219-21)*
– Killed up to ¾ of the population (possibly 10 to
15 million people)
History
• The Safavid Dynasty (1501)
– Established by Shah Ismail I
– Instigated a forced conversion from Sunni to Shi'a
Islam
– Rivalry between with the Ottoman Empire
– During Nader Shah's reign (1729 - ), Iran reached its
greatest extent since the Sassanian Empire
– Lost lands in the wars with Russia and British empires
History : The Pahlavi Dynasty
• Reza Khan overthrew the Qajar Dynasty, became Shah
in 1921. He was forced (by the occupying Anglo-Russian
forces) to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza
Pahlavi in 1941
– Mohammad Mosaddegh, elected PM and popular after
nationalization of the Iran’s oil industry, was deposed in the 1953
coup.*
• After the coup, the Shah became increasingly autocratic
and sultanistic. (White revolution with the notorious
secret police, SAVAK)
• The Shah sent Khomeini into exile in 1964
• Oil price hikes and inflationary booms in 1974
• Economic recession in 1975-6, unemployment,
organized protests again the Shah (The Islamic
Revolution, 1979-)
The Islamic Republic (1979 - )
• The Iranian Revolution came to be known as the
Islamic Revolution.
• A year of strikes and demonstrations paralyzed
the country and its economy
• The Shah fled the country and Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile to Tehran
in February 1979
• A new government was formed and in April 1979
Iran officially became an Islamic Republic,
supported in a referendum with Ruhollah
Khomeini as Supreme Leader (1979-89)
The Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini
The Islamic Republic (1979 - )
• Seizure of the US embassy and 52 hostages
(Nov 1979)
• Iraq under Sadam Hussein invaded Iran (Sept
1980), precipitating the Iran-Iraq War (Aug 1988)
Iran under sanctions
• Numerous governments and multinational
entities impose sanctions against Iran.
– Following the Iranian Revolution and the
seizure of the US Embassy
– In response to Iran’s continued illicit nuclear
activities
• Effects
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_sanctions
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctions_against_Iran
Government and Politics
• The Leader of the Revolution ("Supreme Leader")
– Is responsible for delineation and supervision of the general
policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
– Is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, controls the military
intelligence and security operations; and has sole power to
declare war or peace.
– Appoints the heads of the judiciary, the commanders of the
police and military forces and six of the twelve members of the
Guardian Council.
– The Assembly of Experts elects and dismisses the Supreme
Leader on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem.*
• President of Iran as the highest state authority.
– Elected by universal suffrage for a term of four years and can
only be re-elected for one term.
– Presidential candidates must be approved by the Guardian
Council prior to running in order to ensure their allegiance to the
ideals of the Islamic revolution.
Iran’s political system
Iran’s Oil
Iran holds 10% of the
world's proven oil
reserves and 15% of
its gas.
It is OPEC's second
largest exporter and
the world's fourth oil
producer.
Tehran & Isfahan
Economy
• Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state
ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village
agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service
ventures
• Per capita GDP (PPP): 13,200
• See the summary sheet
• In 2006, about 45% of the government's budget came from
oil and natural gas revenues, and 31% came from taxes
and fees.
• Iranian budget deficits have been a chronic problem, mostly
due to large-scale state subsidies, that include foodstuffs
and especially gasoline.*
• In 2010, the economic reform plan cuts subsidies gradually
and replaces them with targeted social assistance. **
Economy
• Leading manufacturing industries in the fields of carmanufacture and transportation, construction materials,
home appliances, food and agricultural goods,
armaments, pharmaceuticals, information technology,
power and petrochemicals in the Middle East.
• Economic sanctions against Iran, such as the embargo
against Iranian crude oil, have affected the economy.
Inflation
GDP per capita
Literacy rate
Education
IRR (Iran Rial) / USD
Persian Kings in the Bible
• Cyrus (539-530 BC) was the founder of the
Mede-Persian Empire. He conquered the Media,
Lydia, and Babylonian Empires.
• He was a gracious liberator, and permitted the
conquered nations to worship their own gods.
• He was benevolent toward various captive
people who had suffered under the rule of
Nebuchadnezzar and his successors.
• The Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem to
rebuild their temple and Cyrus even gave
financial help.
Persian Kings in the Bible
• Darius (521-486 BC) defeated 9 kings (local uprisings) in
19 battles in 2 years.
– He began the great work of Persepolis located 30 miles north of
Shiraz. The main hall has the inscription, "I am Darius, great
king, king of kings, king of lands -- who constructed this palace."
– Darius was a good organizer of his kingdom. He established an
efficient postal service.
• Xerxes (486-465 BC) was Darius's son. He continued
the war against the Greeks and continued building at
Persepolis.
• Artaxerxes (464-423 BC) was the son of Xerxes who
continued building at Persepolis.