A Glimpse into Iran

Google the word, "Iran," and you are likely to be bombarded with headlines detailing a nuclear deal. If you're more of a newcomer to global news as I am, you may not know where to begin sifting through all of the news features. One visit to The Guardian's website and over the past two days there have been at least 10 pieces on the Iran nuclear deal.  See some of the stories here: http://www.theguardian.com/world/iran

So what's all the hype about? Let’s explore some aspects of Iran’s political, social and economic climates.

Officially titled the Islamic Republic of Iran, also known as Persia, the Iranian government can be a bit difficult to understand, especially for those who are so comfortable with our American democracy. Iran is essentially a theocracy, with a Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei holding the most religious and political clout. He appoints the heads of Iran’s military, the national TV and radio network, as well as those of the major religious organizations.

There is an elected president and parliament, as well as an Assembly of Experts (who are the ones who selected Khamenei).  These figures act as the political structure of the Islamic Republic. Khamenei is the one with the power to declare war or peace, along with the majority vote of parliament. So the President is elected by voters, but must be approved and appointed by the Supreme Leader and the Council of Guardians. Iran’s current president, Hassan Rouhani, was voted into office in 2013.

He is responsible for the all of the executive duties that don’t directly pertain to the Supreme Leader. Rouhani brings policies before the legislature and is served by 10 vice presidents. The president must receive approval from the Supreme Leader on his appointments for his staff, including the Ministers of Intelligence and Defense.

It’s clear to see the great influence of religion imparted into the country of Iran’s entire structure. It’s a striking difference in comparison to the separation of church and state, and secularization present in the politics of America and many European countries.

Iran has a population of 79.7 million people, and the makeup of this number is actually quite diverse. The Persian language is the most widely spoken across the country. The official state religion is the Twelver Shia branch of Islam, but the government also acknowledges the practice of Christianity, Judaism, and the Sunni branch of Islam.  Tehran is Iran’s capital, as well as the country’s biggest urban area.

Not surprisingly, the majority of Iran’s exports relate to energy. The country holds 10% of the world’s known oil reserves, and the gas and oil production power the majority of the nation’s economy. Interestingly enough, a solid chunk of the economy is centrally planned, and so the government received much of it’s revenue from oil and gas exports. Religious foundations often account for a solid portion of government spending.

I had no idea that Iran was such a mountainous and densely forested country. I pictured a place covered in sand, which just goes to show how much of a bubble I’ve been in most of my life. I hope this blog will help educate not only me, but also anyone who happens to read it. Now that we have a general sense of Iran, I’ll be writing more posts in the future concerning deeper issues and current events; keep reading!