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107-470: In most Western countries, Friday is the fifth and final day of the working week. In some other countries, Friday is the first day of the weekend, with Saturday the second. In Iran , Friday is the last day of the weekend, with Saturday as the first day of the working week. Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also followed this convention until they changed to

214-422: A 25-year cooperation agreement that will strengthen the relations between the two countries and would include "political, strategic and economic" components. Iran-China relations dates back to at least 200 BC and possibly earlier. Iran is one of the few countries in the world that has a good relationship with both North and South Korea . Iran is a member of dozens of international organizations, including

321-615: A feast day occurs on a Friday, the Orthodox also abstain from using oil in their cooking and from alcoholic beverages (there is some debate over whether abstention from oil involves all cooking oil or only olive oil ). On particularly important feast days, fish may also be permitted. For the Orthodox, Fridays throughout the year commemorate the Crucifixion of Christ and the Theotokos ( Mother of God ), especially as she stood by

428-478: A Friday. In the 19th century, Admiral William Henry Smyth described Friday in his nautical lexicon The Sailor's Word-Book as: The Dies Infaustus , on which old seamen were desirous of not getting under weigh, as ill-omened. ( Dies Infaustus means "unlucky day".) This superstition is the root of the well-known urban legend of HMS  Friday . In modern times since the Middle Ages, Friday

535-795: A Friday–Saturday weekend on September 1, 2006, in Bahrain and the UAE, and a year later in Kuwait. In the seven-day week introduced in the Roman Empire in the first century CE, the days were named after the classical planets of Hellenistic astrology (the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn). The English name Friday comes from the Old English frīġedæġ , meaning the "day of Frig ",

642-480: A ceremonial body without any real power. The political system is based on the country's constitution . Iran ranked 154th in the 2022 The Economist Democracy Index . Juan José Linz wrote in 2000 that "the Iranian regime combines the ideological bent of totalitarianism with the limited pluralism of authoritarianism ". The President is head of government and the second highest-ranking authority, after

749-590: A close economic and military alliance, and are subject to heavy sanctions by Western nations. Iran is the only country in Western Asia that has been invited to join the CSTO , the Russia-based international treaty organization that parallels NATO . Relations between Iran and China are strong economically; they have developed a friendly, economic and strategic relationship. In 2021, Iran and China signed

856-542: A distinct political and cultural entity. The Muslim conquest of Persia (632–654) ended the Sasanian Empire and marked a turning point in Iranian history, leading to the Islamization of Iran from the eighth to tenth centuries and the decline of Zoroastrianism . However, the achievements of prior Persian civilizations were absorbed into the new Islamic polity. Iran suffered invasions by nomadic tribes during

963-1148: A loan of the week-day names from Low German ; however, the modern Faroese name is fríggjadagur . The modern Scandinavian form is fredag in Swedish , Norwegian , and Danish , meaning Freyja 's day. The distinction between Freyja and Frigg in some Germanic mythologies is contested. The word for Friday in most Romance languages is derived from Latin dies Veneris or "day of Venus" (a translation of Greek Aphrodī́tēs hēméra , Ἀφροδίτης Ἡμέρα ), such as vendredi in French , venres in Galician , divendres in Catalan , vennari in Corsican , venerdì in Italian , vineri in Romanian , and viernes in Spanish and influencing

1070-503: A moderate position internationally. In 1997, Rafsanjani was succeeded by moderate reformist Mohammad Khatami , whose government advocated freedom of expression , constructive diplomatic relations with Asia and the European Union , and an economic policy that supported a free market and foreign investment. The 2005 presidential election brought conservative populist and nationalist candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. He

1177-796: A result of an old convention associating the Nordic goddess Frigg with the Roman goddess Venus after whom the planet was named; the same holds for Frīatag in Old High German , Freitag in Modern German , and vrijdag in Dutch . The expected cognate name in Old Norse would be friggjar-dagr . The name of Friday in Old Norse is frjá-dagr instead, indicating

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1284-471: A strong response from Iran, based on their historical and cultural background. Iran has full-control over the islands. Kish island , as a free trade zone , is touted as a consumer's paradise, with malls, shopping centres, tourist attractions, and luxury hotels. Qeshm is the largest island in Iran, and a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2016. Its salt cave, Namakdan, is the largest in the world, and one of

1391-494: Is Sonnabend , which derives from Old High German sunnunaband , and is closely related to the Old English word sunnanæfen . It means literally "Sun eve", i.e., "The day before Sunday". Sonnabend is generally used in northern and eastern Germany, and was also the official name for Saturday in East Germany . Even if these two names are used regionally differently, they are usually understood at least passively in

1498-577: Is officially governed as a unitary Islamic republic with a presidential system , with ultimate authority vested in a Supreme Leader. The government is authoritarian and has attracted widespread criticism for its significant violations of human rights and civil liberties. Iran is a major regional power , due to its large reserves of fossil fuels , including the world's second largest natural gas supply , third largest proven oil reserves , its geopolitically significant location, military capabilities , cultural hegemony , regional influence, and role as

1605-630: Is יום שישי Yom Shishi meaning "the sixth day". In most Indian languages , Friday is Shukravāra , named for Shukra , the planet Venus . In Bengali শুক্রবার or Shukrobar is the 6th day in the Bengali week of Bengali Calendar and is the beginning of the weekend in Bangladesh. In Tamil, the word for Friday is velli , also a name for Venus; and in Malayalam it is velliyalca . In Japanese , 金曜日 ( きんようび , kinyōbi )

1712-702: Is a Jewish custom to fast on the Friday of the week of Chukat . Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran ( IRI ), also known as Persia , is a country in West Asia . It borders Turkey to the northwest and Iraq to the west, Azerbaijan , Armenia , the Caspian Sea , and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, the Gulf of Oman and

1819-474: Is a loan from the Slavic Pannonian dialect. The n in péntek suggests an early adoption from Slavic, when many Slavic dialects still had nasal vowels . In modern Slavic languages only Polish retained nasal vowels. Friday is considered unlucky in some cultures. This is particularly so in maritime circles; perhaps the most enduring sailing superstition is that it is unlucky to begin a voyage on

1926-452: Is accountable only to the Rahbar. The Court's rulings are final and cannot be appealed. The Assembly of Experts, which meets for one week annually, comprises 86 "virtuous and learned" clerics elected by adult suffrage for 8-year terms. Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces ( Persian : استان ostân ), each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called

2033-615: Is always used in Austria , Liechtenstein , and the German-speaking part of Switzerland , and generally used in southern and western Germany . It derives from Old High German sambaztac , the first part ( sambaz ) of which derives from Greek Σάββατο , sávvato and this Greek word derives from Hebrew שבת , Shabbat . However, the current German word for Sabbath is Sabbat . The second name for Saturday in German

2140-527: Is called سبت , Sabt (cognate to Sabbath ) and it is the first day of the week in many Arab countries but the Last Day in other Islamic countries such as Indonesia , Malaysia , Brunei , Central Asian countries . In Japanese , the word Saturday is 土曜日 , doyōbi , meaning 'soil day' and is associated with 土星 , dosei : Saturn (the planet), literally meaning "soil star". Similarly, in Korean

2247-527: Is divided into five regions with 31 provinces . Tehran is the nation's capital , largest city and financial center . A cradle of civilization , Iran has been inhabited since the Lower Palaeolithic . The large part of Iran was first unified as a political entity by the Medes under Cyaxares in the seventh century BC, and reached its territorial height in the sixth century BC, when Cyrus

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2354-580: Is formed from the words 金星 ( きんせい , kinsei ) meaning Venus (lit. gold + planet) and 曜日 ( ようび , yōbi ) meaning day (of the week). In the Korean language , it is 금요일 in Korean Hangul writing ( Romanization : geumyoil ), and is the pronounced form of the written word 金曜日 in Chinese characters, as in Japanese. In Chinese , Friday is 星期五 xīngqíwǔ meaning "fifth day of

2461-478: Is four times that of Europe's. There are over 200 protected areas to preserve biodiversity and wildlife, with over 30 being national parks . Iran's living fauna includes 34 bat species, Indian grey mongoose , small Indian mongoose , golden jackal , Indian wolf , foxes , striped hyena , leopard , Eurasian lynx , brown bear and Asian black bear . Ungulate species include wild boar , urial , Armenian mouflon , red deer , and goitered gazelle . One of

2568-559: Is in a seismically active area. On average, an earthquake of magnitude seven on the Richter scale occurs once every ten years. Most earthquakes are shallow-focus and can be very devastating, such as the 2003 Bam earthquake . Iran consists of the Iranian Plateau . It is one of the world's most mountainous countries; its landscape is dominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate basins or plateaus . The populous west part

2675-510: Is mandatory for all male citizen aged 18 to serve around 14 months in the IRIAF or IRGC. Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday . No later than the 2nd century , the Romans named Saturday diēs Sāturnī ("Saturn's Day") for the god Saturn . His planet, Saturn , controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens . The day's name

2782-482: Is named for its liturgical significance as the day of preparation before Sabbath , which was inherited by Greek Christian Orthodox culture from Jewish practices. Friday was formerly a Christian fast day ; this is the origin of the Irish Dé hAoine , Scottish Gaelic Di-Haoine , Manx Jeheiney and Icelandic föstudagur , all meaning "fast day". In both biblical and modern Hebrew , Friday

2889-526: Is the Friday before Easter . It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus . Adherents of many Christian denominations including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Methodist, and Anglican traditions observe the Friday Fast , which traditionally includes abstinence from meat , lacticinia , and alcohol on Fridays of the year. Traditionally, Roman Catholics were obliged to refrain from eating

2996-551: Is the highest judge of the Supreme Court of Iran . The Chief Justice nominates candidates to serve as minister of justice, and the President selects one. The Chief Justice can serve for two five-year terms. The Special Clerical Court handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics , although it has taken on cases involving laypeople . The Special Clerical Court functions independently of the regular judicial framework and

3103-635: Is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the Caucasus , Zagros , and Alborz , the last containing Mount Damavand , Iran's highest point, at 5,610 m (18,406 ft), which is the highest volcano in Asia. Iran's mountains have impacted its politics and economics for centuries. The north part is covered by the lush lowland Caspian Hyrcanian forests , near the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. The east part consists mostly of desert basins, such as

3210-402: Is the transliteration hātarei . Quakers traditionally referred to Saturday as "Seventh Day", eschewing the " pagan " origin of the name. In Scandinavian countries, Saturday is called lördag , lørdag , or laurdag , the name being derived from the old word laugr /laug (hence Icelandic name Laugardagur ), meaning bath, thus Lördag equates to bath-day. This is due to

3317-422: Is the unlucky day, specifically the 13th. Popularly, Fridays are seen as days of good luck and happiness, since it is the last day of a work week as well as many school weeks that end every Friday. In astrology , Friday is connected with the planet Venus and is symbolized by that planet's symbol ♀ . Friday is also associated with the astrological signs Libra and Taurus . In Christianity, Good Friday

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3424-489: The Army , the head of Supreme National Security Council , and has the power to declare a state of emergency after passage by the parliament. The President is responsible for the implementation of the constitution, and for the exercise of executive powers in implementing the decrees and general policies as outlined by the Rahbar, except for matters directly related to the Rahbar, who has the final say. The President functions as

3531-554: The Caucasus to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Persian Wars . Iran remained a monarchy until the 1979 Iranian Revolution , when it officially became an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979. Since then, Iran has experienced significant political, social, and economic changes. The establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran led to the restructuring of its political system, with Ayatollah Khomeini as

3638-571: The Filipino biyernes or byernes , and the Chamorro betnes . This is also reflected in the p-Celtic Welsh language as Gwener . An exception is Portuguese , also a Romance language , which uses the word sexta-feira , meaning "sixth day of liturgical celebration", derived from the Latin feria sexta used in religious texts where consecrating days to pagan gods

3745-625: The G-15 , G-24 , G-77 , IAEA , IBRD , IDA , NAM , IDB , IFC , ILO , IMF , IMO , Interpol , OIC , OPEC , WHO , and the UN , and currently has observer status at the WTO . The military is organized under a unified structure, the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces , comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran Army , which includes the Ground Forces , Air Defence Force , Air Force , and Navy ;

3852-530: The Hebrides it is supposed that it is a lucky day for sowing the seed. Good Friday in particular is a favourite day for potato planting—even strict Roman Catholics make a point of planting a bucketful on that day. Probably the idea is that as the Resurrection followed the Crucifixion , and Burial so too in the case of the seed, and after death will come life? In Hispanic and Greek cultures, Tuesday

3959-714: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , which consists of the Ground Forces , Aerospace Force , Navy , Quds Force , and Basij ; and the Law Enforcement Command (Faraja), which serves an analogous function to a gendarme . While the IRIAF protects the country's sovereignty in a traditional capacity, the IRGC is mandated to ensure the integrity of the Republic, against foreign interference, coups, and internal riots. Since 1925 , it

4066-724: The Kassites , Mannaeans , and Gutians . Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel called the Persians the "first Historical People". The Iranian Empire began in the Iron Age with the rise of the Medes , who unified Iran as a nation and empire in 625 BC. The Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), founded by Cyrus the Great , was the largest empire the world had seen, spanning from the Balkans to North Africa and Central Asia . They were succeeded by

4173-763: The Kavir Desert , which is the country's largest desert, and the Lut Desert , as well as salt lakes . The Lut Desert is the hottest recorded spot on the Earth's surface, with 70.7 °C recorded in 2005. The only large plains are found along the coast of the Caspian and at the north end of the Persian Gulf, where the country borders the mouth of the Arvand river . Smaller, discontinuous plains are found along

4280-623: The Late Middle Ages and early modern period , negatively impacting the region. Iran was reunified as an independent state in 1501 by the Safavid dynasty , which established Shia Islam as the empire's official religion, marking another turning point in the history of Islam . Iran functioned again as a leading world power, especially in rivalry with the Ottoman Empire . In the 19th century, Iran lost significant territories in

4387-687: The Lord's Day (Sunday). Other Protestant groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists, hold that the Lord's Day is the Sabbath, according to the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8), and not Sunday. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. Christian religious observance in the Holy Week , before Easter Sunday . In the Catholic Church, Saturday is dedicated to

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4494-429: The Pahlavi dynasty . Attempts by Mohammad Mosaddegh to nationalize the oil industry led to an Anglo-American coup in 1953 . After the Iranian Revolution , the monarchy was overthrown in 1979 and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini , who became the country's first Supreme Leader . In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran , sparking the eight-year-long Iran–Iraq War , which ended in stalemate. Iran

4601-409: The Persian Gulf to the south. With a multi-ethnic population of almost 90 million in an area of 1,648,195 km (636,372 sq mi), Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population . It is the sixth-largest country entirely in Asia and one of the world's most mountainous countries. Officially an Islamic republic , Iran has a Muslim-majority population . The country

4708-423: The Republic of Azerbaijan (611 km or 380 mi); to the north by the Caspian Sea ; to the northeast by Turkmenistan (992 km or 616 mi); to the east by Afghanistan (936 km or 582 mi) and Pakistan (909 km or 565 mi); to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman ; and to the west by Iraq (1,458 km or 906 mi) and Turkey (499 km or 310 mi). Iran

4815-410: The Seleucid , Parthian , and Sasanian Empires , who governed Iran for almost 1,000 years, making Iran a leading power once again. Persia's arch-rival during this time was the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine Empire . Iran endured invasions by the Macedonians , Arabs , Turks , and Mongols . Despite these invasions, Iran continually reasserted its national identity and developed as

4922-446: The South Caucasus . However, they have shared common interests, such as the issue of Kurdish separatism and the Qatar diplomatic crisis . Iran has a close and strong relationship with Tajikistan . Iran has deep economic relations and alliance with Iraq , Lebanon and Syria, with Syria often described as Iran's "closest ally". Russia is a key trading partner, especially in regard to its excess oil reserves. Both share

5029-458: The Viking practice of bathing on Saturdays. The roots lör , laugar and so forth are cognate to the English word lye , in the sense of detergent. The Finnish and Estonian names for the day, lauantai and laupäev , respectively, are also derived from this term. The international standard ISO 8601 sets Saturday as the sixth day of the week. The three Abrahamic religions ( Judaism , Christianity , and Islam ) regard Saturday as

5136-435: The color associated with Saturday is purple . In Pakistan , Saturday is Hafta , meaning the week. In Eastern Indian languages like Bengali Saturday is called শনিবার , Shonibar meaning Saturn's Day and is the first day of the Bengali Week in the Bengali calendar . In Islamic countries , Fridays are considered as the last or penultimate day of the week and are holidays along with Thursdays or Saturdays; Saturday

5243-464: The pagan origins of the name. In Slavic countries, it is called "Fifth Day" ( Polish : piątek , Russian : пятница , pyatnitsa ). The day is named after Shukra son of Bhrigu and Kavyamata (Usana). In Hinduism , special observances are practiced for forms of the Devi , such as Durga , Lakshmi , Saraswati , Kali , Parvati , Annapurna , Gayatri , or Santoshi Mata on Friday. Fridays are important for married ladies and they worship

5350-418: The parliament . The Rahbar is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces , controls military intelligence and security operations, and has sole power to declare war or peace. The heads of the judiciary, state radio and television networks, commanders of the police and military, and the members of the Guardian Council are all appointed by the Rahbar. The Assembly of Experts is responsible for electing

5457-451: The 13th and Friday the 17th are considered to be especially unlucky, due to the conjunction of Friday with the unlucky numbers thirteen and seventeen . Such a Friday may be called a "Black Friday". However, this superstition is not universal, notably in Hispanic, Greek and Scottish Gaelic culture: Though Friday (and especially those falling on the 13th and 17th) has always been held an unlucky day in many Christian countries, still in

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5564-410: The 16th century, the native Safavids re-established a unified Iranian state with Twelver Shi'ism as the official religion . During the Afsharid Empire in the 18th century, Iran was a leading world power, though by the 19th century, it had lost significant territory through conflicts with the Russian Empire . The early 20th century saw the Persian Constitutional Revolution and the establishment of

5671-806: The 2nd-most powerful person in Iran, was assassinated by the US , heightening tensions between them . Iran retaliated against US airbases in Iraq , the largest ballistic missile attack ever on Americans; 110 sustained brain injuries . Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi ran for president again in 2021 , succeeding Hassan Rouhani . During Raisi's term, Iran intensified uranium enrichment , hindered international inspections, joined SCO and BRICS, supported Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and restored diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. In April 2024, Israel's airstrike on an Iranian consulate , killed an IRGC commander. Iran retaliated with UAVs , cruise and ballistic missiles ; 9 hit Israel. Western and Jordanian military helped Israel down some Iranian drones. It

5778-401: The 4th largest province, also known as Pârs . The Persian Fârs (فارس), derived from the earlier form Pârs (پارس), which is in turn derived from Pârsâ ( Old Persian : 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿). Due to Fars' historical importance, Persia originated from this territory through Greek in around 550 BC, and Westerners referred to the entire country as Persia , until 1935, when Reza Shah requested

5885-524: The Arab world, the word for Friday is commonly a derivation of this: ( Malay Jumaat (Malaysia) or Jumat (Indonesian) , Turkish cuma , Persian / Urdu جمعه , jumʿa ) and Swahili (Ijumaa). In modern Greek , four of the words for the week-days are derived from ordinals. However, the Greek word for Friday is Paraskevi ( Παρασκευή ) and is derived from a word meaning "to prepare" ( παρασκευάζω ). Like Saturday ( Savvato , Σάββατο ) and Sunday ( Kyriaki , Κυριακή ), Friday

5992-456: The British pronunciation and / ɪ ˈ r æ n / as the American pronunciation. Voice of America 's pronunciation guide provides / ɪ ˈ r ɑː n / . Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC. The western part of the Iranian plateau participated in the traditional ancient Near East with Elam (3200–539 BC), and later with other peoples such as

6099-479: The Directions Given to Band Societies (25 December 1744) mandate for all Methodists fasting and abstinence from meat on all Fridays of the year. The Eastern Orthodox Church continues to observe Fridays (as well as Wednesdays) as fast days throughout the year (with the exception of several fast-free periods during the year). Fasting on Fridays entails abstinence from meat or meat products (i.e., quadrupeds), poultry , and dairy products (as well as fish). Unless

6206-473: The Great founded the Achaemenid Empire , one of the largest in ancient history . Alexander the Great conquered the empire in the fourth century BC. An Iranian rebellion established the Parthian Empire in the third century BC and liberated the country, which was succeeded by the Sasanian Empire in the third century AD. Ancient Iran saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, religion and central government. Muslims conquered

6313-473: The Guardian Council is not needed. The Leader can revert the decisions of the Guardian Council. The constitution gives the council three mandates: veto power over legislation passed by the parliament , supervision of elections and approving or disqualifying candidates seeking to run in local, parliamentary, presidential, or Assembly of Experts elections. The council can nullify a law based on two accounts: being against Sharia (Islamic law), or being against

6420-444: The Guardian Council, and serves as an advisory body to the Supreme Leader, making it one of the most powerful governing bodies in Iran. The Parliament has 207 constituencies, including the 5 reserved seats for religious minorities. The remaining 202 are territorial, each covering one or more of Iran's counties . Iran uses a form of Sharia law as its legal system, with elements of European Civil law . The Supreme Leader appoints

6527-433: The Iranians), recognised as a derivative of Proto-Indo-European language *ar-yo- , meaning ' one who assembles (skilfully) ' . According to Iranian mythology , the name comes from Iraj , a legendary king. Iran was referred to as Persia by the West , due to Greek historians who referred to all of Iran as Persís , meaning 'the land of the Persians '. Persia is the Fars province in southwest Iran,

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6634-407: The Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman have mild winters, and very humid and hot summers. The annual precipitation ranges from 135 to 355 mm (5.3 to 14.0 in). More than one-tenth of the country is forested . About 120 million hectares of forests and fields are government-owned for national exploitation. Iran's forests can be divided into five vegetation regions: Hyrcanian region which forms

6741-419: The Rahbar, and has the power to dismiss him on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem. To date, the Assembly of Experts has not challenged any of the Rahbar's decisions nor attempted to dismiss him. The previous head of the judicial system, Sadeq Larijani , appointed by the Rahbar, said that it is illegal for the Assembly of Experts to supervise the Rahbar. Many believe the Assembly of Experts has become

6848-450: The Revolution or Supreme Leadership Authority, is the head of state and responsible for supervision of policy. The president has limited power compared to the Rahbar. Key ministers are selected with the Rahbar's agreement and they have the ultimate say on foreign policy. The Rahbar is directly involved in ministerial appointments for Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, as well as other top ministries after submission of candidates from

6955-468: The Supreme Leader. Iran's foreign relations have been shaped by the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), ongoing tensions with the United States, and its nuclear program, which has been a point of contention in international diplomacy. In 1989, Akbar Rafsanjani concentrated on a pro-business policy of rebuilding the economy without breaking with the ideology of the revolution. He supported a free market domestically, favoring privatization of state industries and

7062-402: The Supreme Leader. The President is elected by universal suffrage for 4 years. Before elections , nominees to become a presidential candidate must be approved by the Guardian Council . The Council's members are chosen by the Leader, with the Leader having the power to dismiss the president. The President can only be re-elected for one term. The president is the deputy commander-in-chief of

7169-574: The capital (Persian: مرکز , markaz ) of that province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general ( استاندار ostândâr ), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to approval of the cabinet . Iran maintains diplomatic relations with 165 countries , but not the United States and Israel —a state which Iran derecognised in 1979. Iran has an adversarial relationship with Saudi Arabia due to different political and ideologies. Iran and Turkey have been involved in modern proxy conflicts such as in Syria , Libya , and

7276-432: The constitution. The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) is at the top of the foreign policy decisions process. The council was formed during the 1989 Iranian constitutional referendum for the protection and support of national interests, the revolution, territorial integrity and national sovereignty. It is mandated by Article 176 of the Constitution to be presided over by the President . The Leader selects

7383-401: The days after. In some Islamic countries , the week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday, just like the Jewish week and the week in some Christian countries. The week begins on Saturday and ends on Friday in most other Islamic countries, such as Somalia , and Iran . Friday is also the day of rest in the Baháʼí Faith . In some Malaysian states, Friday is the first week-end day, with Saturday

7490-422: The days was explained by Vettius Valens and Dio Cassius (and Chaucer gave the same explanation in his Treatise on the Astrolabe ). According to these authors, it was a principle of astrology that the heavenly bodies presided, in succession, over the hours of the day. The association of the weekdays with the respective deities is thus indirect, the days are named for the planets, which were in turn named for

7597-458: The deities. The Germanic peoples adapted the system introduced by the Romans but glossed their indigenous gods over the Roman deities in a process known as interpretatio germanica . In the case of Saturday, however, the Roman name was borrowed directly by West Germanic peoples, apparently because none of the Germanic gods was considered to be a counterpart of the Roman god Saturn . Otherwise Old Norse and Old High German did not borrow

7704-586: The executive of affairs such as signing treaties and other international agreements, and administering national planning, budget, and state employment affairs, all as approved by the Rahbar. The President appoints ministers, subject to the approval of the Parliament, and the Rahbar, who can dismiss or reinstate any minister. The President supervises the Council of Ministers , coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before

7811-653: The fasting seasons ( Great Lent , Nativity Fast , Apostles' Fast , Dormition Fast ) the fasting rules are always lessened to an extent. The Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist are normally observed as strict fast days, but if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the fast is lessened. Today, Saturday has two names in modern Standard German . The first word, Samstag ,

7918-598: The foot of the cross. There are hymns in the Octoekhos which reflect this liturgically. These include Theotokia (hymns to the Mother of God) which are chanted on Wednesdays and Fridays called Stavrotheotokia ("Cross- Theotokia "). The dismissal at the end of services on Fridays begins with the words: "May Christ our true God, through the power of the precious and life-giving cross...." Quakers traditionally referred to Friday as "Sixth Day," eschewing

8025-479: The goddesses on that day. In Islam , Friday (from sun-down Thursday to sun-down Friday) is the day of communion, of praying together, the holy day of Muslims . Friday observance includes attendance at a Masjid (mosque) for congregation prayer or Salat Al Jumu'ah . It is considered a day of peace and mercy (see Jumu'ah ). According to some Islamic traditions, the day is stated to be the original holy day ordained by God, but that now Jews and Christians recognize

8132-569: The green belt of the north side of the country; the Turan region, which are mainly scattered in the center of Iran; Zagros region , which mainly contains oak forests in the west; the Persian Gulf region , which is scattered in the southern coastal belt; the Arasbarani region , which contains rare and unique species. More than 8,200 plant species are grown. The land covered by natural flora

8239-516: The head of the Supreme Court and chief public prosecutor. There are several types of courts, including public courts that deal with civil and criminal cases, and revolutionary courts which deal with certain offences, such as crimes against national security . The decisions of the revolutionary courts are final and cannot be appealed. The Chief Justice is the head of the judicial system and responsible for its administration and supervision. He

8346-541: The importance of Friday as follows. " Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of Allah as saying: The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it, Adam was created. on it he was made to enter Paradise , on it he was expelled from it. And the last hour will take place on no day other than Friday. The Qur'an also has a surah (chapter) called Al-Jumu'ah (The Friday). Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until nightfall on Saturday. There

8453-798: The international community to use its native and original name, Iran ; Iranians called their nation Iran since at least 1000 BC. Today, both Iran and Persia are used culturally, while Iran remains mandatory in official use. The Persian pronunciation of Iran is [ʔiːˈɾɒːn] . Commonwealth English pronunciations of Iran are listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as / ɪ ˈ r ɑː n / and / ɪ ˈ r æ n / , while American English dictionaries provide pronunciations which map to / ɪ ˈ r ɑː n , - ˈ r æ n , aɪ ˈ r æ n / , or / ɪ ˈ r æ n , ɪ ˈ r ɑː n , aɪ ˈ r æ n / . The Cambridge Dictionary lists / ɪ ˈ r ɑː n / as

8560-528: The land of the Aryans ' derives from Middle Persian Ērān , first attested in a 3rd-century inscription at Naqsh-e Rostam , with the accompanying Parthian inscription using Aryān , in reference to the Iranians . Ērān and Aryān are oblique plural forms of gentilic nouns ēr- (Middle Persian) and ary- (Parthian), deriving from Proto-Iranian language *arya- (meaning ' Aryan ', i.e. of

8667-551: The legislature. Eight Vice Presidents serve under the President, as well as a cabinet of 22 ministers, all appointed by the president. Presidential and parliamentary candidates must be approved by the 12-member Guardian Council (all members of which are appointed by the Leader) or the Leader, before running to ensure their allegiance. The Leader rarely does the vetting, but has the power to do so, in which case additional approval of

8774-739: The meat of warm-blooded animals on Fridays, although fish was allowed. The Filet-O-Fish was invented in 1962 by Lou Groen , a McDonald's franchise owner in Cincinnati, Ohio , in response to falling hamburger sales on Fridays resulting from the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays. In the present day, episcopal conferences are now authorized to allow some other form of penance to replace abstinence from meat. The 1983 Code of Canon Law states: The Book of Common Prayer prescribes weekly Friday fasting and abstinence from meat for all Anglicans . In Methodism ,

8881-584: The military or used for wildlife protection, and entry is prohibited or requires a permit. Iran took control of Bumusa , and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs in 1971, in the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Despite the islands being small and having little natural resources or population, they are highly valuable for their strategic location. Although the United Arab Emirates claims sovereignty, it has consistently been met with

8988-441: The most famous animals is the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah , which survives only in Iran. Iran lost all its Asiatic lions and the extinct Caspian tigers by the early 20th century. Domestic ungulates are represented by sheep , goat , cattle , horse , water buffalo , donkey and camel . Bird species like pheasant , partridge , stork , eagles and falcons are native. The Supreme Leader , "Rahbar", Leader of

9095-550: The name from Saturn . In most languages of India , Saturday is Shanivāra , vāra meaning day, based on Shani , the Hindu god manifested in the planet Saturn . Some Hindus fast on Saturdays to reverse the ill effects of Shani as well as pray to and worship the deity Hanuman . In the Thai solar calendar of Thailand , the day is named from the Pali word for Saturn, and

9202-606: The name of the Roman god (Icelandic laugardagur , German Samstag ). In the Eastern Orthodox Church , Saturdays are days on which the Theotokos ( Mother of God ) and All Saints are commemorated, and the day on which prayers for the dead are especially offered, in remembrance that it was on a Saturday that Jesus lay dead in the tomb . The Octoechos contains hymns on these themes, arranged in an eight-week cycle, that are chanted on Saturdays throughout

9309-623: The national budget. All parliamentary candidates and legislation from the assembly must be approved by the Guardian Council . The Guardian Council can and has dismissed elected members of the parliament. The parliament has no legal status without the Guardian Council, and the Council holds absolute veto power over legislation. The Expediency Discernment Council has the authority to mediate disputes between Parliament and

9416-713: The other part. In West Frisian there are also two words for Saturday. In Wood Frisian it is saterdei , and in Clay Frisian it is sneon , derived from snjoen , a combination of Old Frisian sunne , meaning sun and joen , meaning eve. In the Westphalian dialects of Low Saxon , in East Frisian Low Saxon and in the Saterland Frisian language , Saturday is called Satertag , also akin to Dutch zaterdag , which has

9523-529: The president. Regional policy is directly controlled by the Rahbar, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' task limited to protocol and ceremonial occasions. Ambassadors to Arab countries, for example, are chosen by the Quds Force , which directly reports to the Rahbar. The Rahbar can order laws to be amended. Setad was estimated at $ 95 billion in 2013 by Reuters, accounts of which are secret even to

9630-604: The region in the seventh century AD, leading to Iran's Islamization . The blossoming literature , philosophy , mathematics , medicine , astronomy and art became major elements for Iranian civilization during the Islamic Golden Age . A series of Iranian Muslim dynasties ended Arab rule, revived the Persian language and ruled the country until the Seljuk and Mongol conquests of the 11th to 14th centuries. In

9737-706: The remaining coast of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz , and Gulf of Oman. Iranian islands are mainly located in the Persian Gulf. Iran has 102 islands in Urmia Lake , 427 in Aras River , several in Anzali Lagoon , Ashurade Island in the Caspian Sea , Sheytan Island in the Oman Sea and other inland islands. Iran has an uninhabited island at the far end of the Gulf of Oman , near Pakistan. A few islands can be visited by tourists. Most are owned by

9844-646: The same linguistic roots as the English word Saturday . It was formerly thought that the English name referred to a deity named Sætere who was venerated by the pre-Christian peoples of north-western Germany, some of whom were the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons . Sætere was identified as either a god associated with the harvest of possible Slav origin, or another name for Loki a complex deity associated with both good and evil; this latter suggestion may be due to Jacob Grimm . However, modern dictionaries derive

9951-770: The second, to allow Muslims to perform their religious obligations on Friday. Sunday is the first working day of the week for governmental organizations . Muslims are recommended not to fast on a Friday by itself ( makruh , recommended against, but not haram , religiously forbidden), unless it is accompanied with fasting the day before (Thursday) or day after (Saturday), or it corresponds with days usually considered good for fasting (i.e. Day of Arafah or Ashura ), or it falls within one's usual religious fasting habits (i.e. fasting every other day), then it's completely permissible. Muslims believe Friday as "Syed-ul-Ayyam" meaning King of days. A narration in Sahih Muslim describes

10058-619: The secretary of the Supreme Council, and the decisions of the council are effective after the confirmation by the Leader. The SNSC formulates nuclear policy, and would become effective if they are confirmed by the Leader. The legislature , known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly (ICA), Iranian Parliament or "Majles", is a unicameral body comprising 290 members elected for four-years. It drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties , and approves

10165-519: The seventh day of the week . As a result, many refused the ISO 8601 standards and continue to use Saturday as their seventh day. For Jews , Messianics , Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists , the seventh day of the week, known as Shabbat (or Sabbath for Seventh-day Adventists), stretches from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday and is the day of rest. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches distinguish between Saturday (Sabbath) and

10272-592: The week". In the Nahuatl language, Friday is quetzalcōātōnal ( [ket͡saɬkoːaːˈtoːnaɬ] ) meaning "day of Quetzalcoatl ". Most Slavic languages call Friday the "fifth (day)": Belarusian пятніца – pyatnitsa , Bulgarian петък – petŭk , Czech pátek , Polish piątek , Russian пятница – pyatnitsa , Serbo-Croatian петак – petak , Slovak piatok , Slovene petek , and Ukrainian п'ятниця – p'yatnitsya . The Hungarian word péntek

10379-573: The west part. The UN Resident Coordinator for Iran, has said that " Water scarcity poses the most severe human security challenge in Iran today". To the west, settlements in the Zagros basin experience lower temperatures, severe winters with freezing average daily temperatures and heavy snowfall. The east and central basins are arid, with less than 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain and have occasional deserts. Average summer temperatures rarely exceed 38 °C (100.4 °F). The southern coastal plains of

10486-487: The word Saturday is 토요일 , tho yo il , also meaning earth day. The element Earth was associated with the planet Saturn in Chinese astrology and philosophy. The modern Māori name for Saturday, rāhoroi , literally means "washing-day" – a vestige of early colonized life when Māori converts would set aside time on the Saturday to wash their whites for Church on Sunday. A common alternative Māori name for Saturday

10593-604: The world's focal point of Shia Islam . The Iranian economy is the world's 23rd-largest by PPP . Iran is a founding member of the United Nations , OIC , OPEC , and ECO as well as a current member of the NAM , SCO , and BRICS . Iran is home to 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites , the 10th highest in the world, and ranks 5th in Intangible Cultural Heritage , or human treasures. The term Iran '

10700-451: The world's longest caves. Iran's climate is diverse, ranging from arid and semi-arid , to subtropical along the Caspian coast and northern forests. On the north edge of the country, temperatures rarely fall below freezing and the area remains humid. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 29 °C (84.2 °F). Annual precipitation is 680 mm (26.8 in) in the east part of the plain and more than 1,700 mm (66.9 in) in

10807-403: The year. At the end of services on Saturday, the dismissal begins with the words: "May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of his most-pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and right victorious Martyrs , of our reverend and God-bearing Fathers …". For the Orthodox, Saturday — with the sole exception of Holy Saturday — is never a strict fast day . When a Saturday falls during one of

10914-511: Was elected to office. Iran has an area of 1,648,195 km (636,372 sq mi). It is the sixth-largest country entirely in Asia and the second-largest in West Asia. It lies between latitudes 24° and 40° N , and longitudes 44° and 64° E . It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia (35 km or 22 mi), the Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan (179 km or 111 mi), and

11021-559: Was introduced into West Germanic languages and is recorded in the Low German languages such as Middle Low German satersdach , saterdach , Middle Dutch saterdag (Modern Dutch zaterdag ), and Old English Sæternesdæġ , Sæterndæġ or Sæterdæġ . Between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week. The astrological order of

11128-648: Was known for his hardline views, nuclearisation, and hostility towards Israel , Saudi Arabia , the UK , the US and other states. He was the first president to be summoned by the parliament to answer questions regarding his presidency. In 2013, centrist and reformist Hassan Rouhani was elected president. In domestic policy, he encouraged personal freedom, free access to information, and improved women's rights. He improved Iran's diplomatic relations through exchanging conciliatory letters. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

11235-551: Was not allowed. Another exception among the Romance languages is also Sardinian , in which the word chenàpura is derived from Latin cena pura . This name had been given by the Jewish community exiled to the island in order to designate the food specifically prepared for Shabbat eve. In Arabic , Friday is الجمعة al-jumʿah , from a root meaning "congregation/gathering." In languages of Islamic countries outside

11342-658: Was reached in Vienna in 2015, between Iran, the P5+1 ( UN Security Council + Germany) and the EU. The negotiations centered around ending the economic sanctions in exchange for Iran's restriction in producing enriched uranium . In 2018, however, the US under Trump Administration withdrew from the deal and new sanctions were imposed. This nulled the economic provisions, left the agreement in jeopardy, and brought Iran to nuclear threshold status . In 2020, IRGC general, Qasem Soleimani ,

11449-642: Was the largest drone strike in history, biggest missile attack in Iranian history, its first ever direct attack on Israel and the first time since 1991 , Israel was directly attacked by a state force. This occurred during heightened tensions amid the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip . In May 2024, President Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash , and Iran held a presidential election in June, when reformist and former Minister of Health , Masoud Pezeshkian ,

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