Political Map Of Iran - Nations Online Project

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About Iran

The Iran map shows the Islamic state, located between the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to the south. It lies at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, the Arab world and the Middle East. The country is governed as a theocracy, a system based on religious authority. The official name is Islamic Republic of Iran. Until the 1980s, Iran was commonly referred to as Persia. It is considered one of the world's oldest civilizations, with continuous cultural and political history spanning more than 5,000 years. Iran borders seven other nations: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. The country shares maritime borders with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Area

With an area of 1,648,195 km², Iran is almost three times the size of France or somewhat larger than twice the size of the US state of Texas.

Population

Iran has a population of 93 million people (est. 2026 - population growth rate: 0.6%). The largest city and capital is Tehran. Other major cities are Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj (a suburb of Tehran), Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahvaz, and Qom. Iran is a multi-ethnic country, with the majority group being Persians (60%), an Indo-European people, Azeris (16%), and Kurds (10%). Iranians are distinct from Arabs, who are a Semitic people originating from the Arabian Peninsula. Spoken language is Persian (Farsi, official). The official state religion is Islam (Twelver Ja'afari Shia Islam). [WP] Map of Iran Political Map of Iran The topographic map shows Iran and surrounding countries with international borders, the national capital Tehran, province capitals, major cities, main roads, railroads, the highest mountains, major airports. Find the location of Iran's nuclear facilities: the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center. Also on the map is the location of Persepolis, the ancient ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BC), today an UNESCO World Heritage Site. You are free to use the above map for educational and non-profit purposes; if you publish it online or in print, you need to credit the Nations Online Project as the source.

More about Iran

Aerial view of Tehran, with the Alborz mountain range in the background. Photo: daniyal62 Persia was a monarchy until 1979, when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Persian Shah (king), was overthrown in a popular uprising headed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, an Iranian Shiʿi cleric. Today, the country's political system is an unusual combination of an Islamic theocracy with partly democratic structures.

Geography of Iran

Iran's landscape offers high altitudes (mean elevation: 1,305 m), rugged mountain ranges, barren desert basins and coastal areas on the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian Sea. Iranian Plateau The country occupies a plateau surrounded by mountains. The upland with an average elevation of 900 m is known as the Iranian Plateau (also Persian Plateau). The geological formation in Western and Central Asia extends from the Armenian Highlands and the Caucasus Mountains in the northwest, the Caspian Sea and the Kopet Dag Mountains in the north to the shores of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman in the south, and from the Zagros Mountains in the west to the Indo-Gangetic Plain on the Indian subcontinent in the east. View of the historical Dayr-e Gachin caravanserai in Qom desert in the center of Kavir National Park; Mount Damāvand, the country's highest mountain, in the background. Photo: Darabad andromeda (Mehdi akbari) Seismic activities The northeastern part of Iran is located on the Eurasian tectonic plate in an area known as the Persia-Tibet-Burma Orogeny, a vast mountain-building region. The southwestern portion, a broad strip of Iran's coastal region along the Persian Gulf, is part of the Arabian Plate. Ongoing collisions of the Arabian and Indian tectonic plates with the Eurasian plate have created several major faults across the country, making Iran one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

Coasts

In the south, Iran has a 1700 km long coastline on the Persian Gulf, an arm of the Arabian Sea. In the north, the country is bounded by the 600 km long southern coast of the Caspian Sea, a relatively shallow sea and the world's largest inland body of water.

Mountains

View of Mount Damāvand, the country's highest mountain at 5,610 m (18,405 ft). Photo: MeSSrro Zagros Mountains The Zagros Mountains are a massive mountain chain that stretches across the western and southwestern parts of the country, creating a natural barrier between the Mesopotamian alluvial plain (Euphrates and Tigris) in Iraq in the west and the Iranian plateau in the east. Some of the peaks of the Zagros Mountains reach heights of over 4,000 meters (13,000 ft.), like Mount Dena (Kuh-E Dinar), the highest peak in the mountain range at 4,459 meters. Elburz Mountains The Elburz mountain range, also known as the Alborz Massif, runs along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. It is home to Mount Damāvand, a possibly only dormant volcano and Iran's highest peak at 5,610 meters, about 70 km northeast of Tehran. Kopet Dag Kopet Dag is a mountain range in northeastern Iran on the border with Turkmenistan. The 650-kilometer-long mountain range, also known as the Turkmen Khorasan Mountains, is a continuation of the Alborz mountain range.

Central Deserts

Aeolian erosion on a colossal scale in the desert landscape of the Dasht-e Kavir. Photo: Ninara Between the mountain ranges lie vast desert basins: the Dasht-e Kavir, the Great Salt Desert (which is almost twice the size of Switzerland), and the somewhat smaller Dasht-e Lut (Emptiness Desert). The Lut Desert, or Dasht-e-Lut, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basins are known as the Central Persian Desert Basins, an ecoregion in central Iran covered by arid steppes and deserts extending into northwestern Afghanistan. The landscape is characterized by hot sand-and-gravel deserts and large salt flats. The region stretches across the Central Iranian Plateau, is surrounded by mountain ranges and has no outlet to the sea. The area features marshes, seasonal lakes, dry steppes, and semi-deserts. The ecoregion has a an arid steppe climate with hot summers and cool to mild winters.

Rivers & Lakes

Most rivers in Iran are seasonal relatively short, shallow streams; the only navigable river is the Karun (Karoun) River in the west of the country. The 725 km long river rises in Zard-Kuh, a sub-range of the central Zagros Mountains; the river flows through Ahvaz and Abadan and empties into the Persian Gulf. The country's largest lake is Lake Urmia. The endorheic lake in the northwest is one of the largest saltwater lakes in the world.

Regions of Iran

Muqarnas, the three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture, in the interior of the Shah Mosque in Isfahan. Photo: Ninara Iran is divided into five regions and thirty-one provinces. The five administrative regions are Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Kermanshah, and Mashhad. The province capitals are: Ahvaz, Arak, Ardabil, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bojnord, Bushehr, Gorgan, Hamadan, Ilam, Isfahan, Karaj, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Mashhad, Qazvin, Qom, Rasht, Sanandaj, Sari, Semnan, Shahr-e Kord, Shiraz, Tabriz, Tehran, Urmia, Yasuj, Yazd, Zahedan and Zanjan. Climate Due to its topography, Iran has different climates, with hot and dry summers and quite cold winters. The coastal areas are subtropical and humid, while the central plateaus are arid. The mountainous regions receive heavy snowfall during winters.

Major Cities

Iran's largest cities. Shah Cheragh Shrine, a mosque in Shiraz in Fars province. The mosque is built around the tombs of Aḥmad and Muḥammad ibn Mūsā. Photo: Costas Tavernarakis Tehran Tehran is the capital of Iran. The city is located in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains in the north-central part of the country. It replaced Isfahan as the capital of Persia in 1788. Mashhad Mashhad is the nation's second-most populous city and the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province. The city is located in the northeast of the country, near the borders with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. In ancient times, Mashhad was an important oasis along the Silk Road. Isfahan Isfahan (also Esfahan) is an industrial center and a major historical city in central Iran known as "half of the world" for its breathtaking Persian-Islamic architecture, including the UNESCO-listed Naqsh-e Jahan Square Meidan Emam in central Iran. Isfahan was the capital of Persia from 1598 until 1722. Tabriz Tabriz is the capital of East Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran. The city is situated at the center of an active volcanic region. It is one of the historical capitals of Persia. The city is famous for its handicrafts, it is a hub for gold, silver, and precious stones, and one of the oldest Persian rug weaving centers. The city of Kang in Khorsan. Kang is a 3,000-year-old stepped village located about 30 km southwest of Mashhad in the Binalud mountains of Iran's Razavi Khorasan Province. Photo: MRB Shiraz Shiraz is the capital of the Fars province, and a gateway to Persepolis, the ruined 6th-century-BC ceremonial capital of Persia during the Achaemenid dynasty. Ahvaz Ahvaz is the capital of Khuzestan province, an industrial city on the Karun River with a population of about 1.2 million people. Qom Qom is the capital of Qom province. The city is considered the second holiest city in Iran and a vital center of Shiite Islam due to the shrine of Fatima Masumeh, sister of the eighth Imam, Ali al-Ridha (Imam Reza), a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Sanandaj Sanandaj is the capital of the Iranian province of Kurdistan. Around 450,000 people live in the city, the majority of whom are Kurds. The city is recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City of Music.

Transportation

Major airports

Mehrabad International Airport (THR) in Tehran, is Iran's busiest airport by passenger traffic. It served as the country's primary airport for both domestic and international flights until most international operations were transferred to Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) after its opening in 2004 Photo: Standardwhale Iran's 10 largest airports by number of passengers. 1. Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran (IATA code: THR) The airport remains the busiest airport for domestic flights, even after Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport opened. 2. Mashhad International Airport, Mashhad (IATA code: MHD) Major hub for international and domestic flights in the northeast of the country. 3. Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran (IATA code: IKA). The country's main international airport. 4. Kish International Airport, Kish (IATA code: KIH) Kish International Airport serves as the entry point for Kish, a resort island in the Persian Gulf off Iran's southern coast, and a popular vacation destination. 5. Shiraz International Airport, Shiraz (IATA code: SYZ) Shiraz International is the main aviation hub for Fars Province and among the busiest airports in Iran. It features two modern terminals and VIP/CIP lounges. 6. Ahvaz International Airport, Ahvaz (IATA code: AWZ) Also known as Qasem Soleimani International Airport, is a major regional hub in southwestern Iran serving the oil-rich city of Ahvaz. 7. Isfahan International Airport, Isfahan (IATA code: IFN) Officially named Shahid Beheshti International Airport, it is a busy aviation hub in central Iran, located approximately 26 km east of the city of Isfahan. 8. Tabriz International Airport, Tabriz (IATA code: TBZ) Tabriz Shahid Madani International Airport serves Tabriz and the East Azerbaijan province in the northwestern part of Iran. 9. Bandar Abbas International Airport, Bandar Abbas (IATA code: BND) Bandar Abbas International Airport is located about 11 kilometers east of the city; it serves the city of Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz region. In addition to civil aviation, the airport also has a significant military presence. 10. Abadan International Airport, Abadan (IATA code: ABD) Abadan International, or Ayatollah Jami International Airport, is a key transport hub in southwestern Iran located in the Arvand Free Zone. The airport primarily handles domestic flights. Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company (IAC) The Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company is the state-owned enterprise responsible for the operation and maintenance of civilian airports, as well as managing the air traffic control and navigation systems throughout Iran's flight information region (FIR). Website: www.airport.ir View of Bandar Abbas, the city that evolved from a major commercial port into the primary headquarters for Iran's naval "deterrence" strategy. The city is the nerve center for Iran's "Smart Control of the Strait" and the host city for the recurring trilateral military exercises between Iran, China, and Russia. Photo: cyrille derieux

Major ports of Iran

Iran's major port cities

Persian Gulf

Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, is strategically located on the Strait of Hormuz and is Iran's chief port, handling a significant portion of the country's non-oil exports and acting as a vital gateway for Central Asia. Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman is Iran's only deepwater port; it consists of two separate ports, Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti.

Caspian Sea

Bandar-e Anzali is the oldest and most important port on the Caspian Sea and a major tourist destination. Amirabad Port near Behshahr is Iran's largest port on the Caspian Sea; the multipurpose facility handles oil, containers, dry bulk and RORO (Roll-on/roll-off). Noshahr Port is a multipurpose facility and includes the Noshahr Special Economic Zone.

Iran Photo Gallery

Baran Tower, Mashhad

The Baran Tower in Mashhad is a 110-meter, 29-floor luxury residential building on Mashhad's Haft-e-Tir Boulevard, completed in 2015. Image: daniyal62

Shahr-e Forudgahi-e Imam Khomeini Metro Station

The Shahr-e Forudgahi-e Imam Khomeini Metro Station is a station on a branch of Line 1 of the Tehran Metro, serving the Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) in Iran. Image: Mahmood Hosseini

Tehran

Tehran, the capital and Iran's largest city. View from the Tabiat-Bridge, a three-level Tabiat (Nature) Bridge in Tehran offers panoramic, 360-degree views of the sprawling capital, and the towering Alborz Mountain range to the north, in the background. Image: Ninara

Taleghan Lake

Taleghan Lake is a picturesque reservoir formed by the 100-meter-high earthen Taleqan Dam on the Shahrood River. Image: Reza Hajipour

Tabiat nature bridge

The Tabiat nature bridge is the largest pedestrian bridge in Tehran, Iran, the 270 meters long overpass the Shahid Modarres Highway to connect Taleghani Park and Abo-Atash Park. Image: Ninara

Faravahar

The image depicts an ancient relief of the Faravahar, a primary symbol of Zoroastrianism, located at the ceremonial capital of Persepolis in modern-day Iran. The symbol might be a representation of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Image: Stefano Vigorelli

Khezr beach

The Khezr Beach on Hormoz Island in the Persian-Gulf. Hormoz Island, a small Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. Image: Hamed Saber

Shah Mosque Isfahan

View of the Shah Mosque from Naqsh-i Jahan Square in Isfahan. The mosque is a 17th-century masterpiece of Safavid architecture, commissioned by Shah Abbas I in 1611. The mosque is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Meidan Emam, Esfahan. Image: Patrick Ringgenberg Cities and Towns in Iran The Iran map shows the locations of the following Iranian cities and towns: Abadan, Abadeh, Ahvaz, Aligudarz, Amirabad Port, Amol, Andimeshk, Arak, Ardabil, Ardakan, Bafq, Bam, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni, Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mah-Shahr, Bijar, Birjand, Bojnord, Borazjan, Borujerd, Bushehr, Chahbahar, Darab, Deylam, Dezful, Eslamabad, Ferdows, Firuzabad, Genāveh, Gonabad, Gonbad-e Kavus, Gorgan, Hajjiabad, Hamadan, Ilam, Iranshahr, Isfahan, Izeh, Jahrom, Jiroft, Karaj, Kashan, Kashmar, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khash, Khorramabad, Khorramshahr, Khoy, Lar, Mahabad, Maku, Malayer, Maragheh, Marand, Mashhad, Miandoab, Minab, Miyaneh, Naeen, Najafabad, Nehbandan, Nikshahr, Nowshahr, Qaen, Qazvin, Qom, Qumis, Rafsanjan, Ramhormoz, Rasht, Rudbar, Sabzevar, Sanandaj, Saqqez, Sarakhs, Saravan, Sari, Saveh, Semnan, Shahrekord, Shahrud, Shiraz, Shushtar, Sirjan, Tabas, Tabriz, Taybad, Tehran, Torbat-e Heydarieh, Torbat-e Jam, Urmia, Yasuj, Yazd, Zabol, Zahedan, Zanjan and Zarand. Advertisements:

Geopolitical Update: February 2026

Iran's geopolitical position is shaped by a dispute over its advancing nuclear program, Western sanctions and diplomacy, and a region-wide network of Iran-aligned armed groups, countered by a cautious U.S. military deterrent in the Persian Gulf. View of Natanz Nuclear Facility, which was the main target of "Operation Midnight Hammer" (June 2025), the code name for United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Photo: Google Maps

1. The Geneva Nuclear Talks

As of late February 2026, high-level indirect negotiations are underway in Geneva between Iranian officials and U.S. envoys. These talks follow the aftermath of "Operation Midnight Hammer" (June 2025), which targeted key nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. The current agenda focuses on a potential "staged" agreement involving uranium enrichment limits in exchange for relief from the "snapback" sanctions that have severely impacted the Iranian economy.

2. Maritime Standoff: "Smart Control"

Iran periodically demonstrates control of the Strait of Hormuz through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval exercises around the Qeshm, Hormuz, Nazeat, and Larak islands, testing coastal anti-ship missiles, drone surveillance, and electronic warfare. The purpose is not to close the waterway permanently but to show it can be disrupted, affecting global oil transport and reinforcing deterrence. In mid-February 2026, the IRGC Navy conducted the "Smart Control of the Strait" military exercises, the drills tested:

• Shore-to-Sea Fire: Deployment of anti-ship cruise missiles from coastal batteries.
• Drone Swarms: Integration of "kamikaze" and reconnaissance drones to monitor the Traffic Separation Scheme.
• Electronic Warfare: Signal jamming maneuvers designed to counter foreign surveillance in the Strait of Hormuz.

3. Regional Military Posture

Tensions remain high following the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the region in late January 2026. This deployment, the largest in decades, serves as a backdrop to the ongoing negotiations, with both sides maintaining a posture of "maximum deterrence" while exploring a diplomatic off-ramp.

4. Internal Economic Challenges

Domestically, the country faces significant economic pressure. Following the currency devaluation in December 2025, the government has been navigating widespread shopkeeper and student protests centered in Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad, primarily driven by high inflation and infrastructural recovery needs following the 2025 conflict. More about Iran Cities: Satellite View and Map of Tehran Country: Satellite View and Map of Iran Iran Country Profile Iran in Figures Iran key statistical data. Continent: Map of the Arabian Peninsula Map of the Persian Gulf Map of Western Asia Map of Central Asia Map of Caspian Sea Weather Conditions Tehran TEHRAN WEATHER Advertisements: Political Maps of other Countries in the Middle East: Bahrain Map, Cyprus Map, Egypt Map, Iran Map, Iraq Map, Israel Map, Jordan Map, Kuwait Map, Lebanon Map, Oman Map, Qatar Map, Saudi Arabia Map, Syria Map, Turkey Map, United Arab Emirates Map, Yemen Map One World - Nations Online More Signal - Less Noise Site Map | Information Sources | Disclaimer | Copyright © 1998-2026 :: nationsonline.org