Country Profile
Iran officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Southern and Western Asia.
The name "Iran'', in Persian means '' Land of the Aryans''.
Iran is divided into 31 Provinces each governed by an appointed governor.
Iran possesses nearly a 10th of the world's oil, yet fuel is rationed(introduced in June 2007)
Iran is the world's fourth-highest oil and gas producer and account for 80% of its export earnings.
Capital Tehran
Currency Rial
Population 79 Million ( 2011 Estimate )
Religion 95 % Shia Muslims and 4 to 8% Sunni Muslims
Official Language Persian
History
Pahlavi Dynasty
The Pahlavis came to power after Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last ruler of the Qajar Dynasty, proved unable to stop British and Soviet encroachment on Iranian sovereignty, was overthrown in a military coup, abdicated his throne and went to exile in France. The National Assembly, known as the Majlis, convening as a Constituent Assembly on Dec 12, 1925, deposed the young Ahmad Shah Qajar, and declared Reza Shah the new monarch of the Imperial State of Persia .
The Pahlavi Dynasty comprised two Iranian/Persian Monarchs -
Father -Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925-41) and
Son -Md Reza Shah Pahlavi(1941-79)
Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's Monarchy under Shah Md Reza Pahlavi(Pahlavi dynasty)and its replacement with an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution and the 1st Supreme Leader of Iran.
Demonstrations against the Shah commenced in October 1977, developing into a campaign of Civil Resistance that was partly secular and partly religious, and intensified in January 1978.Between August and Dec 1978 strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country. The Shah left Iran for exile in mid-January 1979, and in the resulting power vacuum two weeks later Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran to a greeting by several million Iranians.The royal regime collapsed shortly after on February 11 when Guerrillas and Rebel Troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah in armed street fighting.
Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran voted by National Referendum to become an Islamic Republic on April 1, 1979.In December 1979, the country approved a Theocratic Constitution, whereby Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became Supreme Leader of Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has an elected president and elected governmental bodies at the national, provincial and local levels for which all males and females from the age of 18 on up may vote, which are supervised by theocratic bodies, particularly the Council of Guardians which had veto power over who can run for parliament (or Islamic Consultative Assembly) and whether its bills can become law.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was the ruler of (or at least dominant figure in) Iran for a decade, from the founding of the Islamic Republic in April 1979 until his death in mid-1989.
Iran–Iraq War(September 1980 - August 1988)
The Iran–Iraq War (also known as the First Persian Gulf War and by various other names) was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran , during Sep 1980 to Aug 1988 making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century.
The war began when Iraq invaded Iran, launching a simultaneous invasion by air and land into Iranian territory on 22 September 1980 following a long history of Border Disputes and fears of Shia Islam insurgency among Iraq's long-suppressed Shia majority influenced by the Iranian Revolution.
Although Iraq hoped to take advantage of the revolutionary chaos in Iran and attacked without formal warning, they made only limited progress into Iran and were quickly repelled by the Iranians who regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982. For the next six years, Iran was on the offensive.
Despite calls for a ceasefire by the UNSC, hostilities continued until 20 August 1988. The war finally ended with a United Nations brokered ceasefire in the form of UNSC Resolution 598, which was accepted by both sides.
Politics and Govt. of Islamic Republic of Iran
The December 1979 Constitution and its 1989 amendment, define the political, economic, and social order of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran has an elected President , Parliament (Majlis), and an "Assembly of Experts'' (which elects the Supreme Leader of Iran), and local councils. According to the constitution all candidates running for these positions must be vetted by the Guardian Council (with the exception of those running for ''Assembly of Experts") before being elected.
Supreme Leader
The most powerful political office in the Islamic Republic is that of the Supreme Leader.
The SupremeLeader appoints -
the Commanders of the Armed Forces,
Director of Radio and TV Network,
Heads of the Major Religious Foundations,
Prayer Leaders in City Mosques,
Members of the National Security Councils,
Chief Judge;Chief Prosecutor;Special Tribunals,
Half of the 12 Jurists of the Guardian Council – the powerful body that decides both what bills may become law and who may run for president or Parliament.
Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmenei is the 2nd Supreme Leader of Iran succeeding Ayotollah Ruhollah Khomeini after his death(Dec 3,1979 to June3,1989) from June 4,1989.
President of Islamic Republic of Iran
The President of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in, and the Head of Govt. of the Islamic Republic of Iran ; although subordinate to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who functions as the country's Head of State.
The President of Iran is elected for a four-year term by the direct vote of the people (at least 18 years of age ) and may not serve for more than two consecutive terms.Candidates for the presidency must be approved by the 12-memberCouncil of Guardians.
The current President of Iran is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran shortly Abadgaran an alliance of some right-wing Iranian political parties and organizations) in office from Aug 3,2005 since the 2005 Iranian Presidential Election and re-elected after the disputed 2009 Iranian Presidential Election.
Parliament of Islamic Republic of Iran
The National Consultative Assembly of Iran also called The Iranian Parliament or People's House, is the national legislative body ofIslamic Republic of Iran.The Parliament of Iran comprises 290 members elected for four-year terms. The Parliament drafts legislation , ratifies international treaties and approves the national budget. All Parliament candidates and all legislation from the assembly must be approved by the Council of Guardians.
Council of Guardians
The ''Council of Guardians'' is composed of 12 jurists, including 6 clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader, and 6 jurists elected by the Majlis from among the Muslim jurists nominated by the Head of theJudicial System . The Council interprets the constitution and may reject bills from parliament deemed incompatible with the constitution or Sharia (Islamic law). These are referred back to parliament for revision.
Iran Parliament - after the March 14,2008 Elections Results
Conservatives - 195 Seats
Islamic Society of Engineers(ISE) Party 101 Seats 35%
Islamic Coalition Party (ICP) 50 Seats 17%
Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran(Abadgaran) 44 Seats 15%
Reformists - 51 Seats
Democracy Party of Iran 41 Seats 14 %
Islamic Labor Party(ILP) 10 Seats 3.4%
Independents 39 Seats
Others 5 Seats
2012 Iranian Parliament Election - March 2,2012
Ahead of Friday's poll for the Majlis (Parliament), Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appealed to voters to come out in droves. He said “higher the turnout, the more competent, the bolder, and the stronger the Majlis will be, and such a Majlis will be able to determinedly make the voice of the people heard in the world”.
Loyalists of the Supreme Leader under the category of “principalists” form an important chunk of the contestants. In theory they are led by Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Kani, chairman of the Council of Experts.
Ahmadinejad's camp followers are mainly organised under the Durable Front of the Islamic Revolution
Mohsen Rezaei, a former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) head, leads the third faction
The election is widely viewed as a contest between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supporters and those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - an all-conservative affair since leaders of the green movement that rocked Tehran in 2009 and challenged the establishment are under house arrest.
The election could sharpen the divide between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader — their rift evident over the President's support for Rahim Mashaee, his chief of staff, who does not appear to have many friends in the Supreme Leader's office
The Parliamentary Election is being held in Iran on Friday March 2, 2012 to elect new members of Islamic Consultative Assembly, Majlis. Elections will be held for all 290 seats, representing the 31 provinces. The winners of this election cycle will serve in the 32nd Parliament in the Iranian history and 9th after the Iranian Revolution.
More than 48 million people are eligible to take part in the vote, which is taking place at about 47,000 polling stations.
The elections, to fill the 290 seats in parliament, are being boycotted by Iran's main opposition and reformist groups, the leaders of which have been under house arrest for a year.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shows his identification document after casting his ballot for the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Tehran, on Friday March 2,2012 Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, right, looks on
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casts his ballot during a parliamentary vote in Tehran
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani casts his vote at a polling station at the Shrine of Masoumeh in the religious city of Qom, Iran
Iranians line up to cast their ballots in the parliamentary elections at the Shrine of Masoumeh in the city of Qom, Iran
Women stand in line to cast their votes during Iran’s parliamentary elections in the courtyard of a holy shrine in Qom, Iran
The Iran Election Officials says that the Polling would be about 65%
Parliamentary Election Results
At least 23 races will have to be decided in runoffs.
The final results are not expected until Tuesday March 6,2012, but the partial count was enough for Ahmadinejad’s opponents to boast of a landslide victory.
Ahmadinejad's sister fails to win Parliament seat
Parvin Ahmadinejad(younger sister of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ) was running for a seat in Garmsar, about 35 miles (60 kilometres) southeast of Tehran on Saturday failed to win as the President’s conservative rivals won a big portion of the seats.Out of 60 winners, at least 46 conservative opponents of Mr. Ahmadinejad had won seats in Parliament. Three other liberal-leaning candidates were elected
She is a currently member of Tehran’s Municipal Council.
The Iranian New Year, Nowruz
Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranians marking the the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian Calendar.Nowruz is the most important holiday(20 March to 23 March, total of 4 days in general + total of 13 days for schools and universities) in Iran. Preparations for Nowruz begin in the month Esfand (or Espand), the last month of winter in the Persian solar Calendar.
Iranian President Mahmoud delivering his Persian new year message to the nation
Iranians shop for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, at a market in Tehran
An Iranian woman buys flowers ahead of celebrations in Tehran for Persian New Year, or Nowruz
Rituals of the Nowruz festival
The people begin with cleaning their homes as a general custom of Nowruz, known as ‘spring clean’.
The number seven has been regarded magical and significant for the Zoroastrians. The number seven symbolizes the seven elements of life, namely, fire, earth, water, air, plants, animals and humans. The traditional table setting of Jamshed Navroz includes seven specific items beginning with the letter ‘S’, known as ''Haft Sin'', that signify life, health, wealth, abundance, love, patience and purity. These items are also known to have astrological correlations to planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and Sun and Moon.
The Haft Sin items are -
sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprouts representing rebirth),
samanu (creamy pudding made from wheat germ regarded as holy and symbolizes affluence),
seeb (apple symbolizing health and beauty),
senjid (dried fruit of lotus tree stands for love),
sir (garlic regarded as medicinal and represents health),
somagh (sumac berries signifying the color of the sun and the victory of good over evil) and
serkeh (vinegar representing old age and patience)
UN Recognition
The UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized March 21 as the International Day of Nowruz, describing it a spring festival of Persian origin
Iran launches long-range missiles
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have test fired several ballistic missiles, including a long-range variety meant to dissuade Israel and the US from attacking the Islamic Republic.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired the medium-range Shahab-3 missile at a mock target in the Kavir Desert on the second day of its Great Prophet 7 exercise, which is due to end on Wednesday July 04,2012, Iran's Al-Alam television network reported.
Sole Female Minister Sacked - Dec 27,2012
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