Iran Profile
History, Government, and Foreign Relations
Iran is a pluralistic society. Persians are the largest ethnic group in Iran, though many are of mixed ancestry. The population of the country has important Turkic elements (e.g., Azeris), and Arabs predominate in the southwest. In addition, Iran’s population includes Kurds, Balochi, Bakhtyari, Lurs, and other smaller minorities such as Armenians, Assyrians, Jews, and Brahuis (or Brohi). The 1979 Islamic Revolution and the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war transformed Iran’s class structure politically, socially, and economically. During this period, Shi’a clerics took a more dominant position in politics and nearly all aspects of Iranian life, both urban and rural. After the…
