Iran

Iran is a Middle Eastern country slightly larger in land mass than Alaska, located between Iraq and Pakistan, opening onto the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in the south and the Caspian Sea in the north. Climate is arid or semiarid mountains and deserts, with the Caspian coast having subtropical climate. It's capital city is Tehran. Iran, dating back to 550 B.C., was the center of the Persian Empire, and is home to the world's most ancient human settlements. 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.

Shi'iah Islam is Iran's national religion, practiced by 89 percent of the population. Sunni Muslims make up another 9 percent. The major languages spoken in Iran include Farsi (Persian) and Persian dialects, Kurdish, and Turkic and its dialects. Oil is Iran's largest crude export.

Comprehensive information on Iran can be found through technorati search for Iran, Nuclear Iran, Iran Contra Affair, terrorism Iran, Persian Empire, and the Iranian Revolution, to name a few. There is also some quick information to be found at BBC, profile Iran. Frontline searches for Iran will bring you to several programs offering. The CIA world factbook gives a briefing.

If you are traveling to Iran from the United States you should check the current travel warnings set out by the U.S. Department of State.

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Latest blogosphere posts tagged “Iran”

• RubinReports: When it Comes to Iran, President Obama Won’t Hear “No” For an Answer

  
  Rick's Caf American — Authority: 164
  When it Comes to Iran, President Obama Won’t Hear “No” For an Answer [Please subscribe and get original analytical and news articles on the Middle East, U.S. foreign policy, and other topics.[ By Barry Rubin Question: What does Iran have to do to get across the fact that it isn’t making a deal on its ...
  1 hour ago

• The One Good Thing About Obama

  
  Conservative Compendium — Authority: 476
  His administration is a treasure trove of pre-written comedy . Obama’s warning came after Iran rejected a compromise proposal to ship its low-enriched uranium abroad so that it could not be further enriched to make weapons. Talk of fresh sanctions also showed that Obama is preparing for the next phase should Iran ...
  1 hour ago

• PALESTINIAN GROUPS AGREE NOT TO FIRE ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL

  
  San Francisco Sentinel — Authority: 151
  Hamas has come to an agreement with armed groups in the Gaza Strip not to fire rockets at Israel, the group’s interior minister, Fathi Hamad, told reports on Saturday. He said the decision was made to avoid possible IDF reactions, and that all factions had now agreed to a cease fire. Hamad added, however, that if ...
  3 hours ago

• IRAN TO HOLD WAR GAMES TO PROTECT NUCLEAR FACILITIES

  
  San Francisco Sentinel — Authority: 151
  Iran will begin large-scale air defense war games on Sunday to help protect its nuclear facilities against any attack, a senior commander said. Brigadier General Ahmad Mighani also suggested Iran could itself produce an advanced missile defense system that Russia has so far failed to deliver to the Islamic Republic ...
  4 hours ago

• Iran to Test Its Readiness

  
  Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines — Authority: 729
  Iran has announced it will conduct a weeklong round of air defense war games centered around the country’s nuclear sites as Western powers, especially the U.S., turn up the heat over Tehran’s nuclear program. The Wall Street Journal: State media quoted a senior air-defense commander saying the exercise, ...
  4 hours ago

• To keep from crying?

  
  Harry's Place — Authority: 642
  Robert Tait reports in The Guardian: Amid simmering political tensions, a fierce post-election crackdown and a depressed economy, reasons to be cheerful are hardly in abundant supply in Iran. Now Tehran city council has found an antidote to gee up down-in-the-mouth inhabitants : the good old belly laugh. It is ...
  5 hours ago

• Cleric Wields Religion to Challenge Iran’s Theocracy

  
  NYT > Theater — Authority: 916
  Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri is the spiritual leader of the opposition in Iran.
  5 hours ago

• Obama Weekly Address: Overseas Trip to Bolster US Economy

  
  CafeSentido.com — Authority: 521
  From WhiteHouse.gov: “In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America’s principles for an open society in China while making progress on joint ...
  5 hours ago

• Iran Video and English Text: Mousavi Interview with Kalemeh (21 November)

  
  Enduring America — Authority: 628
  The Latest from Iran (21 November): Mousavi, Khomeini, and Ahmadinejad Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis An English-summary translation of Mousavi’s statemen t follows the video. ...
  5 hours ago

• THE BIRTH OF ISLAM PUNK ROCK - TAQWACORE: A DOCUMENTARY BY MICHAEL MUHAMMAD KNIGHT

  
  San Francisco Sentinel — Authority: 151
  The documentary “Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam,” follows Michael Muhammad Knight, along with young Muslim punk bands his 2003 novel inspired, on a tour across North American and into Pakistan. BY ANDREW NORMAN United Press International EAST LANSING, Mich. — The movement usually precedes the ...
  5 hours ago

• U.N. Official Seeks Global Action on Iran

  
  Muslims Against Sharia — Authority: 612
  BERLIN -- Mohamed ElBaradei, the departing chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, said Irans continued refusal to accept tighter scrutiny of its nuclear activities would likely force the international community to impose new sanctions. Though he described sanctions as a "grievous violation of human ...
  6 hours ago

• Iran to launch largest aerial defense maneuver

  
  — Authority:
  Iran is scheduled to launch a large-scale joint aerial defense maneuver in an attempt to prepare itself for any potential attack against the country. WRH permalink
  6 hours ago

• A Third Lebanon War Could Be Much Worse than the Second

  
  Muslims Against Sharia — Authority: 612
  by Michael J. Totten Hezbollahs Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah recently announced that he could hit any and every place in Israel with long-range missiles. That would mean that, unlike in 2006, Hezbollah could strike not only the northern cities of Kiryat Shmona and Haifa but also Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, ...
  6 hours ago

• Iraq Working for Release of Americans Held in Iran

  
  Muslims Against Sharia — Authority: 612
  BAGHDAD — An Iraqi official says Baghdad has contacted Tehran in a bid to secure the release of three Americans detained in Iran, but has received no reply. Foreign undersecretary Labid Abawi said Saturday that Iraq has sent messages and made "several efforts" to ensure the release of the Americans. He ...
  6 hours ago

• Iran: pattern

  
  empirical-what-you-see-you-get — Authority: 129
  Rasoul Alinejad and Behrooz Faridi , two students from Tabriz who were missing since Wednesday called their family and said they are hold in the detentioncentre of the ministry of information. The trial of the detained students of Shiraz University was postponed again. The postponement and the remarks by the ...
  8 hours ago

• The Beautiful Iranians

  
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  Six stories down. WRH permalink
  8 hours ago

• Terror Trial, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. Are Not Independent Events

  
  The Political and Financial Markets Commentator — Authority: 531
  Hope and Change or Truth or Consequences What Credibility Does Mr. Obama Think That He Has? He Talks of Consequences In Iran While Allowing Terrorists To Go On Trial In Civilian Court In The United States   Talk and rhetoric are cheap as the nation and the world has witnessed since the campaign that brought ...
  8 hours ago

• Terror Trial, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. Are Not Independent Events

  
  American Conservative Daily — Authority: 503
  Hope and Change or Truth or Consequences What Credibility Does Mr. Obama Think That He Has? He Talks of Consequences In Iran While Allowing Terrorists To Go On Trial In Civilian Court In The United States Talk and rhetoric are cheap as the nation and the world has witnessed since the campaign that ...
  8 hours ago

• PRESS DIGEST - Iran - Nov 21

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 728
  Source: Reuters TEHRAN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Iranian newspapers on Saturday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. HAMBASTEGI - ...
  8 hours ago

• Obama threatens war, media echoes lie Iran wants to “wipe Israel off the map.” Citizen action?

  
  — Authority:
  “Crimes against Peace” is the planning of a War of Aggression. It is illegal under several areas of law wherein all nations bound themselves to prevent the carnage of war: the UN Charter (treaty status), Nuremberg Principles (or London Charter, treaty status), and US military law. US political and media leaders ...
  9 hours ago

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