But Iran, or Persia, Iran is the world’s 18th most populous country, and it’s a major player in both Middle Eastern and world politics. 1990 - Iran remains neutral following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. However, most mentions of Iran in the news focus on some of the many problems the country is facing, such as its controversial nuclear program, undemocratic government, and harsh gender divide.

1990 June - A major earthquake strikes Iran, killing approximately 40,000 people. Iran, a mountainous, arid, and ethnically diverse country of southwestern Asia. 1990 September - Iran … The per capita GDP is a robust $12,800 US, but 18% of Iranians live below the poverty line and 20% are unemployed. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Persian: محمود احمدی‌نژاد ‎, romanized: Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād [mæhmuːd(-e) æhmædiːneʒɒːd] ()), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian (Persian: محمود صباغیان ‎, romanized: Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956), is an Iranian politician who served as the sixth President of Iran from 2005 to 2013. Modern Iranian culture owes itself … Indeed the emphatic influence of the Iranian world was made clear with the emergence of the Abbasid Caliphate in 749 AD and the transfer of the capital from Damascus to the newly founded city of Baghdad (around 762 AD), not far from the old Sasanian capital. Iran's majority centrally-planned economy depends upon oil and gas exports for between 50 and 70% of its revenue. The heart of the Persian empire of antiquity, Iran has long played an important role in the region as an imperial power and as a factor in superpower rivalries.

About 80% of Iran's export income comes from fossil fuels.