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• Iran
  Iran

  noun

  a republic in SW Asia. About 635,000 sq. mi. (1,644,650 sq. km). Teheran.
• Iran.
  Iran.

  abbreviation

  Iranian.

Iran

¹ American  

[ih-ran, ih-rahn, ahy-ran] / ɪˈræn, ɪˈrɑn, aɪˈræn /

noun

1. a republic in SW Asia. About 635,000 sq. mi. (1,644,650 sq. km). Teheran.

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Iran. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Iranian.

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Iran British  

/ ɪˈrɑːn /

noun

1. Former name (until 1935): Persia.  Official name: Islamic Republic of Iran.  a republic in SW Asia, between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf: a monarchy until an Islamic revolution in 1979 headed by the Ayatollah Khomeini when the Shah was obliged to leave the country. Consists chiefly of a high central desert plateau almost completely surrounded by mountains, a semitropical fertile region along the Caspian coast, and a hot and dry area beside the Persian Gulf. Oil is the most important export. Official language: Persian (Iranian or Farsi). Official religion: Muslim majority. Currency: rial. Capital: Tehran. Pop: 79 853 900 (2013 est). Area: 1 647 050 sq km (635 932 sq miles) See also Persian Empire

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Iran Cultural  

1. Republic in the Middle East, bordered by Armenia, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan to the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south; and Iraq and Turkey to the west. Its capital and largest city is Teheran.

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Discover More

In 1979, Iranian militants attacked the U.S. embassy and seized hostages, including sixty-two Americans, who were held until 1981.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ruled from 1979 until his death in 1989, imposing strict Islamic law.

The United States supported the regime of the shah (king) Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who was forced by popular opposition to leave the country in 1979.

The 1990s saw some moderating elements emerge to challenge the conservative heirs to Khomeini.

The Iranian government was widely believed to have controlled the taking of U. S. hostages in Lebanon. (See Iran-Contra affair.)

Core of the ancient Persian Empire, Iran was known as Persia until 1935.

Iraq unsuccessfully invaded Iran in 1980.

Compare meaning

How does iran compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Iran vs. Iraq

Example Sentences

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia conducted multiple strikes against Iran early in the war, transforming regional geopolitics.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

Rather than uniting the Gulf countries against their common opponent, the war has deepened a schism between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates in which the two have taken diverging approaches to Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and “there were no breakthroughs on Iran, broader geopolitics, or the economic relationship,” writes 22V Research’s Michael Hirson.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The airline industry has had to temper its plans to expand flight offerings in response to rising costs from the Iran conflict, which began at the end of February.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

The bathrooms in Iran are so different that when I told Mrs. Miller’s class about them, it was a disaster.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri