41 Interesting Iran Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published November 2, 2016Updated March 29, 2025

In Persian, the word Iran means “Land of the Aryans.”_[9]
Iran first participated in the Olympics in 1948 and has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for 1980 and 1984. Iran has also participated in the winter Olympics multiple times since 1956._[3]
The official name of Iran is the Islamic Republic of Iran. It became an Islamic republic in 1979 when the monarchy was overthrown and religious clerics assumed political power under supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini._[8]

Tehran, the capital of Iran, suffers severe pollution

Iran’s capital and largest city, Tehran, has some of the worst air pollution in the world. An estimated 27 people die a day from air pollution-related diseases._[7]
The current Iranian flag was adopted in 1980 and has three equal horizontal bands of green, white, and red. Green is the color of Islam and represents growth, white symbolizes honesty and peace, and red stands for bravery and martyrdom. Centered in the middle white band is the stylized representation of the word “Allah” and the phrase La ilaha illa Allah (“None is worthy of worship but Allah”) in the shape of a tulip. Along the inner edges of the green and red bands are 22 copies of the phrase Allahu Akbar (“God is great”)._[7]
In 1953, the CIA was involved in a covert operation code named Operation Ajax to overthrow the democratically elected Iranian government of Prime Minister Masaddegh. In return, the Shah rewarded the United States with a 40% stake in Iran’s oil industry. When the Iranians learned of the United State’s role, they would distrust the United States for years to come._[2]
In 1979, a group of Islamist students and militants overtook the American Embassy in Tehran. In support of the Iranian revolution, they demanded that the United States hand over Shah Pahlavi, who was dying of cancer and receiving medical treatment in the U.S. After 444 days, just minutes after President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office, the hostages were released._[2]
During the Iran-Iraq War, the United States officially supported Iraq and put pressure on other countries to stop selling weapons to Iran. However, the U.S. itself was later found to have been quietly selling weapons to the country. The resulting scandal was Iran-gate, or the Iran-Contra scandal._[2]
Nearly half of Iran has an arid desert climate. It receives less than 4 inches of precipitation each year._[1]

Iran has the fourth largest oil reserves in the world

The Persian Gulf holds 60% of the world’s oil reserves. Iran alone has reserves of 125 billion barrels of oil, or 10% of the world’s total reserves. Iran pumps nearly 4 million barrels of oil each day._[1]
Only one river in Iran, the Karun, may be navigated by boat, and then only for short distances._[1]
Iran is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, with settlements dating back to 4000 B.C._[4]
Approximately 70% of Iran’s population is under the age of 30._[5]
An Iranian organization offered a reward of $3 million to anyone who killed Salman Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses. The book hinted that some of the verses of the Koran might not be real revelations from God and that the devil disguised himself to give Mohammed false ideas._[2]
Since ancient times, people in Iran have used a water supply system called a qanat (or kanat). It collects underground water and moves it through tunnels to places where people need it._[3]

The Iranians were pioneer carpet weavers of the ancient world

Iranians have woven beautiful rugs for over 2,500 years. When creating rugs, Iranian weavers often make a mistake intentionally. They want to show their belief that “only God is perfect.” After oil, Iran’s second largest export commodity is carpets._[8]
The capital of Iran is Tehran, which means, “warm slope.” Nearly 12 million people live there._[9]
In Iran, females over the age of nine must wear a hijab in public. Additionally, religious rules do not allow women to wear bathing suits when men are present._[9]
Influential Iranian-Americans include Dara Khosrowshahi, President and CEO, Expedia, Inc; Omid Kordestani, Former Senior Vice President of Google; Isaac Larian, manufacturer of Bratz dolls; David Merage, manufacturer of Hot Pockets; Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay; Christiane Amanpour, news anchor; and Matt Ghaffari, Olympic silver-medal winning wrestler._[2]
Persian culture is famous for beautiful poetry, luxurious rugs, and lush gardens. In fact, the English word “paradise” comes from a Persian word meaning “enclosed garden.”_[9]

Gardens permeate Iranian culture and history

Iran is one of the primary trans-shipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe. Over 3,600 Iranians have been killed in the past 25 years fighting heroin smugglers._[5]

Legend states that the Three Wise Men were Persian (Iranian)

The Medes were of Aryan origin and the first people to unify Iran by the 6th century B.C. One of the tribes, the Magi, were powerful Zoroastrian priests. The most famous Magi are the Three Wise Men of the Christian Nativity story who brought gifts to the newborn Christ. The 13th century Italian explorer Marco Polo claimed to have visited the graves of the Three Wise Men in what is now Iran’s capital Tehran._[4]
Iran is one of the world’s largest producers of caviar, pistachios, and saffron._[1]
Famous biblical figures purported to be buried in Iran include Esther, Daniel, Cyrus the Great, Darius the Great, and St. Thaddaeus._[8]
Iran has over one million foreign refugees, more than any other country on earth. Most of the refugees are from Afghanistan or are Iraqi Kurds. Consequently, Iran has acquired a large workforce willing to do manual labor for the lowest wages._[2]
Iran has one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world._[8]
In 2007, Iran produced the world’s largest handmade carpet for a mosque in the United Arab Emirates. It was the size of a soccer field._[7]
In 2007, Iran produced the world’s largest handmade carpet for a mosque in the United Arab Emirates. It was the size of a soccer field._[7]
Polo was played in Iran as early as the 6th century B.C., mainly as training for the cavalry._[4]

Iran has the highest rate of nose jobs per capita in the world

Iran has been dubbed “the nose job capital of the world,” as the Western nose has become the desired nose shape of young Iranian women._[6]
Iran is the 18th largest country in the world, with a total of 1,648,195 sq km. It is slightly smaller than Alaska._[5]
In 2002, Iran admitted that for the previous 18 years, it had worked undercover on a nuclear energy program with help from Russia. President Ahmadinejad says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and that Iran has an “inalienable right” to produce nuclear fuel._[2]
Poetry holds a special place in Iranian culture. All Iranians can recite lines from famous Persian poems, such as the most famous poem in Iran called Shahnameh or The Epic of Kings._[9]
The Shah-En-Shah monument was erected in 1971 to celebrate the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. The name has since been changed to the Azadi Monument, which means “freedom” in the Farsi language._[7]
Women in Iran follow a strict dress code called the hijab. The punishment for not following the hijab is a lashing, although it is not always enforced consistently._[2]
The most popular sport in Iran is soccer. The national team has won the Asian Cup three times and played in three World Cup Final competitions._[4]
Persians make up the most of Iran (61%), followed by Azeri (16%), Kurd (10%), Lur (6%), Baloch (2%), Arab (2%), Turkmen and Turkic tribes (2%), and other (1%)._[5]
Islam is the dominant religion in Iran at 98%: Shia 89% and Sunni 9%. Other religions, such as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and the Baha’i faith make up the remaining 2%._[5]

The Persian cat is also known as the Iranian cat

The Persian cat is one of the world’s oldest breeds. They originated in the high plateaus of Iran where their long silky fur protected them from the cold. Italian traders brought the breed to Europe in the 17th century, where they became an exotic status symbol._[8]
A December 2003 earthquake struck the southeastern city of Bam, Iran, killing more than 30,000 people._[5]
In Iran, yogurt is referred to as “Persian Milk,” and many Iranians consider yogurt a miracle food. It is used to treat ulcers, relieve sunburn, and even prolong life. Some people use yogurt as a face mask._[7]

Timeline
2000 B.C.	Central Asians migrate to Iran
530-330 B.C.	Cyrus the Great founds the Persian Empire
330 B.C.	Alexander the Great conquers Persia
323 B.C.	Alexander dies; one of his generals forms the Seleucid Dynasty
250 B.C.	Parthian invaders establish the Parthian (or Arsacid) Empire
A.D. 224	The Sassanids found the Second Persian Empire
A.D. 637	Arabs conquer Persia; Islam becomes the state religion
1051-1220	Reign of the Seljuks
1258	Mongol invaders establish the Il-Khanid Dynasty
1335	The Mongol dynasty collapses; a succession of minor dynasties follows
1501-1722	The Safavids rule the Third Persian Empire
1796-1925	Reign of the Qajars
1926	Reza Khan founds the Pahlavi Dynasty
1935	Persia is named Iran
1941	British and Soviet forces invade; Reza Khan abdicates in favor of his son
1979	The Islamic Revolution; Ayatollah Khomeini comes to power
1980	Iran becomes an Islamic republic
1980-1988	Iran-Iraq War
1989	Ayatollah Khomeini dies
1997	Muhammad Khatami is elected
2002	U.S. President George W. Bush labels Iran part of an “axis of evil”