Country profile: Iran

Iran was one of the first countries to be occupied by the early
Islamic armies which burst out from Arabia in the seventh century.
Persia, as it was, had been one of the greatest empires of the
ancient world, and has long maintained a distinct cultural identity
within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering
to the Shia interpretation of Islam.
OVERVIEW
In 1979 the country became the centre of world attention when the
monarchy was overthrown and a unique Islamic republic was declared,
in which religious clerics - headed by Ayatollah Khomeini - wielded
ultimate political control. There followed an unstable and bloody
period, including an eight-year war with Iraq, in which the country's
oil wealth plummeted from its previous high levels.
Two decades later, Iran appeared to be entering another era of
political and social transformation with the victory of the
liberals over the long-ruling conservative elite in parliamentary
elections in 2000.
Former President Mohammad Khatami's support for greater social and
political freedoms made him popular with the young - an important
factor as around half of the population is under 25. But his
liberal ideas put him at odds with the supreme leader, Ayatollah
Khamenei, and hardliners reluctant to lose sight of established
Islamic traditions.
Iran has come under strong pressure from the US since President
Bush declared it part of an "axis of evil" in 2002. That pressure
intensified after the US-led war against Iraq, with Washington
accusing Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and of
trying to subvert US efforts in Iraq. Iran says its nuclear
ambitions are peaceful.
With a diplomatic showdown looming over its nuclear programme, Iran
resumed its uranium conversion process in 2005. Months later it
removed seals placed by the UN's nuclear watchdog at some of its
research plants. President Ahmadinejad says Iran has an
"inalienable right" to produce nuclear fuel.
Iran has an abundance of energy resources, with reserves of natural
gas second only to those of Russia and substantial oil reserves.
But it faces the challenge of providing hundreds of thousands of
new jobs for its youthful population.
FACTS
Population: 70.7 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Tehran
Area: 1.65 million sq km (636,313 sq miles)
Major language: Persian
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 10 Iranian rials = 1 toman
Main exports: Petroleum, carpets, agricultural products
GNI per capita: US $2,300 (World Bank, 2005)
Internet domain: .ir
International dialling code: +98
LEADERS
Supreme leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The supreme leader - the highest power in the land - appoints the
head of the judiciary, military leaders, the head of radio and TV
and Friday prayer leaders.
Moreover, he selects six members of the Guardian Council, an
influential body which has to pass all legislation and which is
able to veto would-be election candidates.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was appointed for life in June 1989,
succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic.
He served two consecutive terms as president in the 1980s.
He has intervened on behalf of conservatives, coming into conflict
with former president Mohammad Khatami and other reformists.
President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor, won a run-
off vote in elections in June 2005, defeating his rival, the former
president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to become Iran's first non-
cleric president for 24 years.
Promising an administration of "peace and moderation", Mr
Ahmadinejad said his government would press on with Iran's
controversial nuclear programme.
Months into his presidency, a furore erupted over Mr Ahmadinejad's
comment at a conference that Israel should be "wiped off the map".
The UN secretary-general rebuked Tehran for the statement.
Born near Tehran in 1956, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a former
provincial governor and Revolutionary Guards officer. He was
actively involved in the Islamic revolution and was a founding
member of the student union that took over the US embassy in Tehran
in 1979. But he denies being one of the hostage-takers.
His predecessor, the reformist Mohammad Khatami, was often
frustrated in his attempts to deliver political and social changes.
Hardline conservatives repeatedly blocked legislation during his
eight years in office and the disqualification of moderates from
parliamentary elections left him politically isolated.
Foreign minister: Manuchehr Mottaki
Interior minister: Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi
Defence minister: Mostafa Mohammad Najjar
Economy minister: Davoud Danesh-Jaafari
MEDIA
The struggle for influence and power in Iran is played out in the media.
The relatively free press, a tangible achievement of former
President Khatami's government, has been targeted by conservatives.
Many pro-reform publications have been closed and reformist writers
and editors jailed. The conservative judiciary has also campaigned
against the liberal media.
There are some 20 major national dailies, but few Iranians buy a
newspaper every day. Sports titles are the biggest sellers.
Broadcasters are more restricted than the press. Despite a ban on
owning dishes, foreign satellite TV channels are widely watched;
this is largely tolerated by the authorities. Stations operated by
exiles in the US were said to have played a role in student
protests in 2003.
State-run IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) operates
national and provincial networks. Its Jaam-e Jam international TV
channels are available worldwide via satellite. IRIB targets Arabic
speakers in Iraq and the Middle East via the Al-Alam and Sahar TV
networks.
Television is very popular, with more than 80% of Iranians being
regular viewers. The most-watched network is the third state
channel, the youth channel.
IRIB's radio channels include a parliamentary network and Radio
Koran. The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (VIRI), an
external radio service, broadcasts via shortwave and the internet.
Around seven million Iranians have access to the internet, which
has been used as a way of circumventing censorship.
Internet service providers are prevented from allowing access to
sites deemed to be pornographic or anti-Islamic, but the web
remains the main forum for dissident voices. Access is easy to
arrange and affordable for middle-class households.
Many foreign broadcasters target listeners in Iran; they include
the Washington-backed Radio Farda, a music-based station aimed at younger audiences.
The press
Tehran Times - English-language daily, published by state-run body
Iran Daily - English-language, published by official news agency
Iran News - English-language
Aftab-e Yazd (Sun of Yazd) - reformist daily
Kayhan (Universe) - conservative daily
Resalat (Message) - conservative daily
Etemaad (Confidence) - reformist daily
Jomhuri-ye-Eslami (Islamic Republic) - conservative daily
Shargh (East) - reformist daily
Jaam-e Jam (Jam's Cup) - large-circulation daily, published by
IRIB, reflects broadcaster's editorial line
Television
IRIB - state-run, operates four national networks, provincial and
international servicesRadio
IRIB - state-run, operates eight national networks, provincial services and an external service
News agencies
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) - English-language pages
Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA)
Fars News Agency - English-language pages
Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA)
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