Iran, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a vast nation situated in the Middle East. It shares borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, Iraq to the west, Turkey to the northwest, and the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south.
Covering an area of 1,648,195 square kilometers, Iran ranks as the 17th largest country globally.
Tehran serves as the capital city of Iran and is the largest and most populous city in the nation. Other significant cities include Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Mashhad.
Persian (Farsi) is recognized as the official language of the nation and is widely used. Additionally, many individuals communicate in various other languages and dialects, including Azeri, Kurdish, Luri, Arabic, Baluchi, Gilaki, Mazandarani/Tabari, and Turkmen.
Iran holds significant geostrategic importance due to its location in the Middle East and central Eurasia. In addition to oil and natural gas, the country possesses a variety of other natural resources, including coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, and sulfur.
Iran is a founding member of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).