Recently President Trump pulled out of the Iran Nuclear agreement. Most people know little about the Islamic nation, so I thought it might be time to up your knowledge of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Here are some fun facts about Iran, its history and people.

  • Iran is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, with settlements dating back to 4,000 B.C.
  • Approximately 70 percent of Iran’s population is under the age of 30.
  • Tehran is the capital of Iran and home to 12 million people. Tehran means “warm slope.”
  • Tehran, has some of the worst air pollution in the world. An estimated 27 people die each day from air pollution-related diseases.
  • Child prostitution has risen 635% in Iran. In Tehran alone, an estimated 84,000 women and girls are in prostitution.
  • Iran has one of the only condom factories in the Middle East.
  • Since 2008, Iran has conducted more sex change operations than any other country in the world, second only to Thailand. The government provides financial assistance if needed.
  • In 2007, Iran produced the world’s largest handmade carpet for a mosque in the United Arab Emirates. It was the size of a soccer field.
  • Iran’s police chief believes Google is a spy tool. He would prefer a “national Internet” under state control.
  • If you want a marriage license in Iran you’re required to sit through and hour-long lecture on contraception.
  • Iran is the 41st most obese country. America Samoa is the worst at 75 percent of their population. The US is 6th at 33.9 percent obesity. I blame Krispy-Kreme.
  • In 1979, student and militants in Iran took over the American Embassy in Tehran. They demanded the release of Shah Pahlavi, who was dying of cancer. Just minutes after President Reagan was sworn in the 444 day siege ended and the hostages were released.
  • During the Iran-Iraq war the US supported Iraq and requested other countries not sell arms to Iran. However, the US violated its own policy and did just that creating Iran-gate or the Iran-Contra scandal.
  • Nearly half of Iran has an arid desert climate. It receives less than 4 inches of rainfall per year.
  • The Persian Gulf holds 60% of the world’s oil reserves. Iran alone has reserves of 125 billion barrels of oil, or 10 percent of the world’s total reserves. Iran pumps nearly 4 million barrels of oil each day.
  • In 1979, Iran abandoned a legal system and established Islamic Law. Women are not mentally or legally the equal of males. Children are the “substance of the male” and in divorce the women lose all custody of their children.
  • In Iran, men who do not marry stay with their natal family their entire life and are described as na-mard (not-men).

Some Final Thoughts

In 2002, Iran admitted that for the previous 18 years, it had worked undercover on a nuclear energy program with help from Russia.

President Ahmadinejad said its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and that Iran has an “inalienable right” to produce nuclear fuel.

The US and four other countries disagreed with Iran’s peaceful pursuit of nuclear power and the Iran Nuclear Agreement was put in place during the Obama administration.

In 2018 President Trump decided to opt-out of the agreement and to resume sanctions on Iran. Comments below.

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