Iran became a unique Islamic republic in 1979, when the monarchy was overthrown and clerics assumed political control under supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

Iran became an Islamic republic unique in 1979, when it was the overthrow of the monarchy and clergy assumed political control under supreme leader Ayatollah Iranian revolution Khomeini.The put an end to the rule of the Shah, who had alienated powerful religious and political forces and popular with the modernization program and alienation to by severe repression of dissent.Persia, as he was known by Iran in 1935, and one of the greatest empires in the ancient world, and kept the country for a long time a distinct cultural identity in the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhere to the interpretation of Shia Islam. In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush called Iran part of an "axis of evil." While Bush's successor, Barack Obama, has softened his tone, and Washington accuses Iran continue trying to develop nuclear weapons.Iran, which built the first nuclear power plant - at Bushehr, in the south of the country - with Russian help, says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. President Ahmadinejad says Iran has "the right is an inalienable" to produce nuclear fuel.In 2010, the United Nations voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over the issue. Two months later, Tehran announced that engineers began loading fuel into the Bushehr plant and described it as a milestone in the drive in the country to produce nuclear energy. Increase the lack of progress on the nuclear issue of tension with the United Nations and the United States and the European Union until 2011, and the European Union announced a ban on Iranian oil imports, which entered into force in July 2012. As the European Union buys 20% of Iran's oil exports was a big step, although the United Nations says Iran continues to advance his programme.The nuclear has an abundance of energy resources - oil reserves and large natural gas reserves are second only to Russia of those This has led. Iran elite conservative clerics too since 1979, but it seems that the entry of another era of political and social transformation with victory liberals in parliamentary elections in 2000.But reformists, and kept on the defensive strong political conservatives in the government and the judiciary, failed to make good on support promises.Former President Mohammad Khatami to more social and political freedoms made him very popular among young people - an important factor and about half of the population under the age of his relatively liberal ideas 25.But and put him at odds with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and hardliners reluctant to overlook elections established traditions.The Islamic June 2005 dealt a blow to reformists when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran conservative mayor, Ahmadinejad became controversial president.Mr has widened for re-election in June 2009 and the violent repression of opposition protests subsequent increase the rift between conservatives and reformers within the political establishment in Iran .