Iran, also called Persia[1] and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is the second-largest country in the Middle East, and its capital and largest city is Tehran.
Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations,[2][3] beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC.
The modern Government of Iran is an Islamic republic which includes elements of a presidential democracy, which was installed by a popular revolution against the US-backed Shah.
Iran's geography makes it geostrategically important for the global oil markets, as it is the northern coast of the Straight of Hormuz which is a maritime choke point where a third of the world's liquefied natural gas and a quarter of global oil trade passes through.