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Iran: Quick Facts

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News •

US military downs 2 Iranian attack drones as Iran claims a strike on a US radar in Bahrain • Nov. 13, 2026, 3:52 PM ET (AP)
Wholesale inflation declined last month yet remains stubbornly elevated • Nov. 13, 2026, 10:33 AM ET (AP)
Iran tells UN nuclear agency that monitoring cannot proceed while it is under threat • Nov. 13, 2026, 5:22 AM ET (AP)
Trump bluntly tells JD Vance to shift focus from Iran to targeting 'corruption and crime' at home • Nov. 12, 2026, 9:07 PM ET (AP)
The Latest: Efforts to impeach Pete Hegseth are blocked by House Republicans • Nov. 11, 2026, 10:12 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As Islamic Republic of Iran • Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān
Head Of Government President: Masoud Pezeshkian
Capital Tehran
Population (2026 est.) 87,312,000
Currency Exchange Rate 1 USD equals 1913227.675 Iranian rial
Head Of State Leader: Mojtaba Khamenei
Form Of Government unitary Islamic republic with one legislative house (Islamic Consultative Assembly [2901])
Official Language Farsī (Persian)
Official Religion Islam
Official Name جمهوری اسلامی ایران (Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān; “Islamic Republic of Iran”)
Total Area (Sq Km) 1,630,848
Total Area (Sq Mi) 629,674
Monetary Unit rial (Rls)
Population Rank (2026) 17
Population Projection 2030 88,539,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi (2026) 138.7
Density: Persons Per Sq Km (2026) 53.5
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2024) 77.7% • Rural: (2024) 22.3%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: (2021) 73.1 years • Female: (2021) 76.4 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2024) 469,379
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2024) 5,130
1Includes seats reserved for Christians (3), of which Armenian (2); Jews (1); and Zoroastrians (1).

Photos and Videos

Iran
Map of the Middle East highlighting Iran in orange, with surrounding countries labeled, including Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea shown nearby. A small inset globe at the bottom left indicates the region's location in the world.
Political map of Iran showing international boundaries, provincial boundaries, and major cities including Tehran, the national capital. Neighboring countries such as Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are labeled. The map also includes the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the south, with a locator inset highlighting Iran's position in the region.
Physical map of Iran
Iran: Zagros Mountains
Iran: Alborz Mountains
Iran: Kavir Desert
Kurdish settlement in southwestern Asia
Iran: Qashqāʾī women
Isfahan, Iran: Māder-e Shah madrasah
What Was the Iran Hostage Crisis?
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Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic
Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
rahbar of Iran
Masoud Pezeshkian stands with arms crossed in front of bookshelves, wearing a dark jacket and light blue shirt, looking at the camera.
Masoud Pezeshkian
president of Iran
Ebrahim Raisi
Ebrahim Raisi
president of Iran
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
Iranian politician
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
president of Iran
Ahura Mazdā
Zarathushtra
Iranian prophet
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wearing a white turban and glasses, seated against a dark blue background.
Hassan Rouhani
president of Iran
Mojtaba Khamenei
Mojtaba Khamenei
rahbar of Iran
Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili
Iranian politician
Mir Hossein Mousavi
Mir Hossein Mousavi
prime minister of Iran
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani seated in a formal portrait, wearing a white turban and brown robe, with his hands resting on his lap.
Hashemi Rafsanjani
president of Iran
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Iranian religious leader
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks at a press conference, seated at a table with a microphone and Iranian flags in the background.
Abbas Araghchi
Iranian diplomat
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi seated in a suit and striped tie, wearing large dark glasses, with his arms resting on the chair, 1979.
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
shah of Iran
Reza Shah Pahlavi
Reza Shah Pahlavi
shah of Iran
Maḥmūd Ghāzān
Maḥmūd Ghāzān
Mongol ruler of Persia
Ali Larijani sits in front of an Iranian flag during an interview, wearing glasses and a dark suit.
Ali Larijani
Iranian government official
Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi
Iranian cleric and politician
Qassem Soleimani
Qassem Soleimani
Iranian general
Iranian ruler Nādir Shāh
Nādir Shāh
Iranian ruler

Related Places

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Gīlān
province, Iran
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geographical region, Iran
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Tabriz
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Māzandarān
historical region, Iran
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Fārs
geographical region, Iran

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