Iran
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Iran, formerly known to the West as Persia, is a country located in the geographical territories of the Middle East touching upon Asia to the east, and the Caucasus to the north. The name Iran in the Persian language literally means "Land of the Aryans". Due to the legacy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and the culture associated with it, the country has historically been regarded as one of the earliest cradles of civilization in all of Eurasia. Although Iran and Persia are used interchangeably in cultural context, politically speaking the country is known as Iran.
The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,000 square kilometers, Iran is about the size of United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany combined. It has a population of over seventy million people.During WWII, the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran installed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as Shah (king). A democratically elected government was overthrown in a British/US supported coup in 1953 with the Shah becoming the autocratic leader. In 1979 the Shah was overthrown in a revolution which resulted in an Islamic state based on sharia. This was an early example of the ongoing Islamization in Muslim countries and elsewhere.
Iran borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan to the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; and Turkey and Iraq to the west. In addition, it borders the Persian Gulf, an important oil-producing area, Gulf of Oman, and the Caspian Sea. Because of its geographically central location it also has a proximity to Europe, Africa, South and Central Asia and is therefore considered to be of geographical importance.
In 2025 and 2026, Iran has been a target of USA and Israeli aggression, killing thousands of people, including the country's Supreme Leader.
Contents
History
The original name for Iran was "Iran", the Persian word for "Aryan". The ancient Greeks believed that Perseus, the son of Zeus, married Cassiopeia, the daughter of Andromeda, and their children are the Persians. "Iran" is a cognate term, i.e. it has the same root as "Aryan", which refers to the "land of the Aryans".
Iran is one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BCE, making it a possible candidate for the earliest human civilization. Throughout history Iran has been of geo-strategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia. Cyrus the Great (580-529 BC) is the founder of the country and the national icon among Iranians. Under his successor, Darius I (522-486 BCE), the Persian Empire became the largest empire the world had seen, extending from northern India to Egypt, and from Greece to the Caucasus.
Iran has been formed into an Islamic republic since the winter of 1979 until which the country was ruled as a monarchy by the Shahs of the Pahlavi dynasty for 54 years. Reza Shah, the first Shah of the throne of Pahlavi, attempted to technologically modernise Iran in the 16 years of his reign. However, his cultural liberalism and perceived decadence offended the traditionalist sensibilities of many religious people (for instance he banned the hijab which protects the dignity of women). Since that time Iran has been under a third positionist government, which tries to reconcile traditionalist values with modernity, rejecting the atheistic materialism of the communists and the Jewish-masonic decadence of American-style capitalism.
In August 1941, after the Shah refused to repel German nationals who mainly worked as engineers in Iran, the USSR and Britain invaded Iran from north and south, respectively. This resulted in Reza Shah being arrested and sent into exile in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he died. His son, Mohammad Reza Shah (His Majesty Shahanshah Aryamehr) succeeded the throne and ruled Iran for another 38 years until the 1979 revolution which brought an end to more than 2500 years of monarchy and a beginning to Islamic rule. Iran is one of the last few countries whose banks are not controlled by the Rothschilds. The Rothschilds plan to invade Iran via their cat's paw, the United States.[2] Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also has been persecuted for discussing WWII without parroting war propaganda about the loser of the war.
In the 20th century, Iran has had sanctions imposed upon it by NATO and the USA to please Israel. Jewish US Representative Brad Sherman has said that the purpose of sanctions on Iran – sanctions which he supports – is to “hurt the Iranian people”.[3] The Rothschild's funded Saddam Hussein to fight Iran, and turned on him when he stopped the war with Iran. Osama Bin Laden was helped by the United States when he was fighting the Russians; he had nothing to do with Iran. The CIA funded a coup d'état in Iran in 1953. Yet the United States has the arrogant cheek to portray Iran as an aggressive nation, part of an "axis of evil", when in fact it is America and Britain that are the true terrorists, not only terrorizing other countries people but their own as well.
Bombing of Iran
Bombing of Iran (2025)
The so-called "Twelve-Day War" was an armed conflict between Iran and Israel which lasted from 13 to 24 June 2025. It began when Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack, assassinating prominent military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians, killing civilians, and damaging or destroying air defenses. On 22 June 2025, the United States, acting as Israel's henchman, bombed all of Iran's uranium enrichment facilities (three uranium enrichment sites, one of them deep underground) and, according to Donald Trump, completely destroyed them. US B-2 bombers had dropped revolutionary "Massive Ordnance Penetrator" bombs.[4] Contrary to Israeli propaganda, Iran does not have nuclear weapons, unlike Israel. Israel's devastating attacks in June 2025, as well as the US attack, brought the countries of the Middle East closer together. Even Iran's opponents, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, assured Iran of their "unconditional Muslim brotherhood and support."
Bombing of Iran (2026)
The bombing of Iran in 2026 marked a pivotal escalation in longstanding U.S.-Iranian tensions, rooted in decades of sanctions, proxy conflicts, and nuclear disputes. Iran's support for regional militias and alignment with the China-Russia-Iran-North Korea (CRINK) axis, prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to authorize joint strikes with Israel, framing them as preemptive actions to neutralize threats to U.S. national security and allies. Critics argue this reflected a pattern of U.S. interventionism, echoing past operations in Iraq and Libya, where regime change goals often led to prolonged instability without achieving strategic objectives. Objectively, the strikes bypassed UN Security Council authorization, raising questions under international law about sovereignty violations, though proponents cited self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Operation Epic Fury
On 28 February 2026, the U.S. and Israel launched "Operation Epic Fury," a coordinated aerial campaign targeting Iranian military facilities, alleged nuclear sites, and leadership compounds across cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, and Shiraz. The operation resulted in the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with approximately 40 senior officials, as announced by Trump. Strikes continued into 1 March 2026, with Israel claiming to have eliminated a "majority" of Iran's senior military leaders.
While precision-guided munitions were emphasized to minimize collateral damage, reports indicate significant civilian impact. Iranian state media and the Red Crescent Society reported over 200 deaths and 747 injuries overall. A notable incident was the bombing of a girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing 148 children and injuring 95, marking the deadliest single civilian event of the campaign. Independent estimates from Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) cited 133 civilian deaths and 200 injuries from the initial strikes, though these figures exclude later waves.
Total Iranian civilian fatalities from the bombing, as of early March 2026, are estimated at 200–300 based on aggregated reports, with discrepancies arising from restricted access and state censorship. In retaliation, Iran initiated "Operation True Promise 4" on 28 February 2026, launching ballistic missiles and drones at Israel and U.S. military assets in allied Arab states, targeting what it termed "Muslim brothers" complicit in hosting aggressors—a reference to Sunni-majority Gulf nations historically aligned against Shia Iran. Strikes hit U.S. bases including Al Udeid in Qatar (CENTCOM headquarters), Al Dhafra in the UAE, Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well as sites in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq.
Retaliation
During Iran's retaliatory strikes, targeting U.S. assets in Gulf states, two prominent Dubai hotels were affected by debris from intercepted Iranian missiles and drones:
- Fairmont The Palm (on Palm Jumeirah): A direct or near hit caused a significant fire at the entrance/grounds, with thick black smoke visible.
- Four people were injured; the blaze was contained by civil defense teams.
- Burj Al Arab (iconic sail-shaped luxury hotel): Debris from an intercepted drone sparked a minor fire on the outer facade. No injuries reported; fire quickly extinguished.
These incidents damaged civilian landmarks amid broader strikes on UAE sites (including Dubai International Airport), though UAE air defenses intercepted most projectiles. Explosions disrupted air traffic, damaged infrastructure, and caused limited casualties: one civilian death in the UAE from debris, three total deaths and 58 injuries there, and intercepts over populated areas in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Iran's actions, while restrained in scale (many missiles intercepted), echoed the 1980s Iran-Iraq War grievances, where Gulf states funded Iraq's efforts, resulting in over 500,000 Iranian deaths.
Critically, this retaliation risked regionalizing the conflict, with Gulf states condemning the attacks as sovereignty violations while facing domestic pressure to expel U.S. forces. Objectively, it demonstrated Iran's missile capabilities but highlighted vulnerabilities, as airpower alone failed to deter escalation.
The events underscored the limits of coercive diplomacy: U.S.-Israeli aims of regime change via airstrikes have historically underperformed, as seen in prior interventions, potentially entrenching hardliners in Iran. International reactions were polarized—Russia and China decried the strikes as "cynical violations," while Western allies urged restraint—exacerbating global divisions and disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. As of 1 March 2026, the conflict remained ongoing, with uncertain prospects for de-escalation.
Putin (statement)
On 1 March 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a formal statement condemning the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the U.S.-Israeli strikes (Operation Epic Fury) on 28 February 2026. In a condolence message addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and published by the Kremlin, Putin described the death as a "murder" (or "assassination" in some translations) committed in "cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law." He extended "deep condolences" to Khamenei's family, the Iranian government, and the people of Iran, while noting that Khamenei would be remembered in Russia as an "outstanding statesman" who made a "tremendous personal contribution" to developing friendly Russian-Iranian relations and elevating them to a "comprehensive strategic partnership."
The statement, reported widely by outlets such as Reuters, TASS, The Moscow Times, and others, focused on diplomatic condolences and legal/moral condemnation rather than announcing immediate retaliatory measures or stronger military commitments beyond existing alliances. It aligned with broader reactions from Russia, China, and other non-Western states criticizing the strikes as violations of sovereignty, though Putin offered limited public escalation at the time. This response reflected Russia's longstanding strategic partnership with Iran, including military cooperation (e.g., drone supplies for Ukraine conflict), while avoiding direct confrontation with the U.S. and Israel amid the ongoing regional crisis.
Culture
Iran (historically Persia) is widely celebrated for its poetry (e.g., Rumi, Hafez, Ferdowsi), Persian carpets (UNESCO-recognized masterpieces with ancient motifs), miniature paintings, and Persian cats (one of the oldest breeds). Wines were historically famous (e.g., Shiraz wine origins), but production halted after the 1979 Revolution due to Islamic prohibition; no commercial winemaking exists today. It is home to the ancient belief systems of Mithraism and Zoroastrianism. Both originated in ancient Iran—Zoroastrianism as the state religion of pre-Islamic empires, and Mithraism spreading from Iranian roots.
Despite efforts by mullahs to islamize Iranians and taking away their national identity since 1979, young Iranians continue to take pride in their ancient pre-Islamic Persian history. The Solar Hijri calendar's month names (e.g., Mehr from Mithra/Mihr, meaning covenant/loyalty; Tir from Tishtrya) derive from Zoroastrian yazatas (divinities), some with Mithraic ties. Nowruz ("New Day") has roots in Zoroastrianism (over 3,000 years old), marking spring equinox/rebirth. It remains Iran's main national holiday and is celebrated widely in Greater Iran (Central Asia, Caucasus) and Balkan countries like Albania (as Sultan Nevruz), Kosovo, and Bosnia (among certain communities).
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Iran’s Ahmadinejad to Jewish journalist: I’m not an anti-Semite
- ↑ AFP’s Most Viewed Article: Rothschilds Want Iran’s Banks, 3 July 2013
- ↑ Rep. Sherman Favors More Civilian Airline Crashes in Iran
- ↑ The GBU-57 series MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) is a 30,000-pound (13,600 kg)-class precision-guided "bunker buster" bomb developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The first combat use of the GBU-57 MOP was reportedly during the American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in the early hours of 22 June 2025. Six B-2 bombers each dropped two GBU-57 MOPs on the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant while a seventh B-2 bomber dropped two GBU-57 MOPs on the Natanz Nuclear Facility.
- ↑ Reports indicate the strike was a coordinated, high-power attack involving both U.S. and Israeli intelligence and military capabilities. The Israeli Air Force reportedly dropped 30 bombs on the complex, with IDF officials confirming the attack and releasing footage. Reports suggest the U.S. was involved in the targeting, with President Trump commenting on the operation and the use of specialized, high-intensity munitions. Satellite imagery confirmed the compound was severely damaged or destroyed.
