Iran, known as Persia until 1935 and now officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is the second-largest nation in the Middle East by population. Iran shares a border, along with historical and religious ties, with Iraq. Iran has been a quasi-theocracy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which deposed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran.

Trump says rest of world must choose between trade with US or Iran. Trump signs order reimposing sanctions on Iran. Iran announces war games in Gulf to 'confront possible threats'. A Life in Focus: Shapour Bakhtiar, last PM of Iran’s Pahlavi era. The Independent revisits the life of a notable figure.

Iran is ruled in a different way to many other countries. It has what is called a theocratic government. Theocratic means a system of government in which religious leaders rule in the name of a god.

The Knowns and Unknowns of What’s Happening With Iran Conflicting signals from both sides could be read as a march to war or business as usual. Kathy Gilsinan Mike Giglio

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2020, pp. 32-33 Special Report By Dr. Jafar Al Mudhafar MORE THAN 400 IRAQIS have been killed since the start of anti-government protests in October. Demonstrators chanted “Iran out of Iraq!” as they burned Iran’s consulates in Karbala and Najaf. Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director, Lynn Maalouf, accused Iraq ...

What's Going On in Iran? | NowThis World ... and at least 22 have died during violent protests in Iran, which began in late December 2017. ... the current landscape of the international community ...

Protests in Iran erupted initially over economic grievances. So far, dozens have been killed and hundreds arrested.

It isn’t surprising that Iran has captured Trump’s attention. After all, over the course of his first year in office, he has made it clear that the Islamic Republic holds an important place in ...

Supporters such as Maryam Rajavi, of the dissident National Council of Resistance of Iran, describe a popular, peaceful uprising, which demands freedom and the overthrow of the theocracy. But the full story is more complicated. Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani is viewed as a moderate in relative terms,...