I ‧ ran /ɪˈrɑːn, -æn/ BrE AmE
a country in southwest Asia, between Iraq and Afghanistan. Population: 71,200,000 (2007). Capital: Tehran. Iran was called Persia until 1935, and is an important oil-producing country. It was at war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988. Iran is a strongly Muslim country and, although it is a ↑ democracy Muslim priests have held a lot of political power there since the Shah (=King) was removed in 1979, when the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power.
—Iranian /ɪˈreɪniən/ noun , adjective