or Teheran
City (pop., 1996: 6,758,845), capital of Iran.
It is situated on the southern slopes of the Rhagae (Rey), which was destroyed by the Mongols in 1220 and was later the home of several Safavid rulers of Persia (16th–18th centuries). It became prominent after its capture by Āghā Muḥammad Khan, founder of the Qājār dynasty , who made it his capital in 1785. It underwent rapid modernization after 1925 and especially after World War II (1939–45). In 1943 it was the site of the Tehran Conference . In 1979, following the Islamic revolution in Iran, the U.S. embassy there was seized and its staff taken hostage by Iranian militants (see {{link=Iran hostage crisis">Iran hostage crisis ). A transportation and industrial centre, Tehrān produces more than half of Iran's manufactured goods. It is the seat of several educational institutions, including the University of Tehrān (1934).