- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(born October 28, 1956) is the 6th and current president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He became president on 6 August 2005 after winning the 2005 presidential election. Ahmadinejad's current term will end in August, 2009, but he will be eligible to run for one more term in office in 2009 presidential elections. Before becoming president, he was the Mayor of Tehran. He is the highest directly elected official in the country, but, … - Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei was not a "marja" when he was elected the Supreme Leader of Iran. Since the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran required the Supreme Leader to be a "marja", a new amendment to the constitution to allow a cleric of his then-status to be elected as the Supreme Leader was required. Since this had not been put to a referendum yet, the Assembly of Experts internally titled him a temporary office holder until the new constitution became effective. - Manouchehr Mottaki
Manouchehr Mottaki is the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs appointed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During the 2005 presidential election, he was the campaign manager of Ali Larijani, the right-conservative candidate. Mottaki holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of Tehran and a bachelor's degree from Bangalore University in India. Before becoming a minister in Ahmadinejad's cabinet, he served as Ambassador to Turkey and Japan. - Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami, born on September 29, 1943, in Ardakan city of Yazd province, is an Iranian intellectual, philosopher and political figure. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 2, 2005, and was succeeded by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Khatami was elected president on May 23, 1997, and was re-elected on June 8, 2001, for a second term. Khatami won largely due to the female and youth vote, … - Ali Larijani
Ali Ardashir Larijani is an Iranian politician, and the current secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. He was appointed to this position by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on August 15, 2005 replacing Hassan Rowhani. He is one of the two representatives of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to the council. In his post as secretary he effectively functions as the top negotiator on issues of national security, including Iran's nuclear program. - Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Mustafavi Khomeini (Persian: روح الله موسوی خمینی "Rūollāh Mūsavī Khomeynī" (September 21 1902 – June 3 1989) was a Shi`i Muslim cleric, philosopher and "marja" (religious authority), and the political leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. - Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist and founder of Children's Rights Support Association in Iran. On December 10, 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's and children's rights. She is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. - Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Hashemi Bahramani born on August 25, 1934, is an influential Iranian politician, and is currently serving as the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran. He served as President of Iran from 1989 to 1997, losing on the second ballot to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 election on his attempt for a third term in office. - Ahmad Batebi
Ahmad Batebi - احمد باطبی is an Iranian student who has been imprisoned since the Iranian Student Protests in July 1999. During the protests in the areas surrounding Tehran University, Batebi held up a bloodied shirt belonging to a fellow student who had been beaten by the Basij paramilitaries. The image, pictured right, spread quickly and ended up on the cover of "The Economist" magazine. - Shaul Mofaz
"'"' (born 1948 in Tehran, Iran) is the current Israeli Minister of Transportation and a Deputy Prime Minister, and a former Minister of Defense. Previously he was the 16th Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, and was the first Israeli of Iranian origin to achieve that post. Mofaz was born in Tehran, although his parents came from Isfahan. Mofaz has had the unique distinction of serving under four different Israeli Prime Ministers, … - Cyrus The Great
Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus II of Persia and Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. As leader of the Persian people in Anshan, he conquered the Medes and unified the two separate Iranian kingdoms; as the king of Persia, he reigned over the new empire from 559 BC until his death. The empire expanded under his rule, eventually conquering most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia, … - Amir Taheri
Amir Taheri is an Iranian-born journalist and author based in Europe. His writings focus on the Middle East affairs and topics related to Islamist terrorism. Taheri's public speaking engagements are arranged by Benador Associates, a public relations firm with a predominantly neoconservative clientele. - Reza Shah
Reza Shah, also "Reza Pahlavi", (March 16, 1878 – July 26, 1944), was Shah of Iran from December 15, 1925 until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in September 16, 1941. Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar dynasty, and founded the Pahlavi Dynasty. He was later designated by his successor to the throne, and son, the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as "Reza Shah the Great". - Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi (Persian: مرجان ساتراپی is a contemporary graphic novelist, illustrator and children's book author. - Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني, Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی;. Born approximately August 4, 1930) is an Iraqi Grand Ayatollah, a Shi'a "marja". He is currently an important political figure in Post-invasion Iraq. - Haleh Esfandiari
Haleh Esfandiari is director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where she had earlier been a fellow in 1995-96. Ms. Esfandiari has worked as a journalist in Iran and taught at the College of Mass Communication in Tehran. She served as deputy secretary general of the Women's Organization of Iran and was the deputy director of a foundation at which she was responsible for the activities of several museums and art and cultural centers. - Ali Karimi
Mohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki (born on November 8, 1978 in Karaj, Iran) is an Iranian football player. He was the Asian Player of the Year in 2004. He currently plays for Qatar SC, having left German giants Bayern Munich. He is often referred to as the "Asian Maradona" and is believed to be one of Asia's greatest players. - Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, screenwriter, and film producer. An active filmmaker since 1970, Kiarostami has been involved in over forty films, including shorts and documentaries. Kiarostami attained critical acclaim for directing the "Koker trilogy", "A Taste of Cherry", and "The Wind Will Carry Us". Kiarostami has worked extensively as a screenwriter, film editor, … - Gholam-Hossein Elham
Gholam-Hossein Elham, Ph.D, is Iran's official government spokesperson. In addition, he is a member of the Guardian Council and became the Minister of Justice upon the death of Jamal Karimi-Rad. He is the husband of Fatemeh Rajabi, a journalist known for her fierce criticism of former-presidents Akbar Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami. - Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist and writer. He was arrested on April 22, 2000 after he took part in a conference held in Berlin on April 7 and 8, 2000. He was imprisoned in Evin Prison in Tehran until his release on March 18, 2006. He holds a Masters degree in Communications. He is the winner of the 2006 World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression's International Press Freedom Award in 2000. - Ali Daei
Ali Daei (born March 21, 1969 in Ardabil, Iran) is a retired Iranian football player who currently is manager of Saipa F.C. in Iran's Premier Football League. He is a former member of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches. - Zahra Kazemi
Zahra "Ziba" Kazemi-Ahmadabadi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, residing in Montreal, Canada, who died in the custody of Iranian officials following her arrest. Although Iran's regime insists that her death was accidental, Shahram Azam, a former military staff physician who left Iran and sought asylum in Canada in 2004, has stated that he examined Kazemi's body and observed evidence of rape and torture, including a skull fracture, broken nose, crushed toe, … - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran (October 26, 1919, Tehran – July 27, 1980, Cairo), styled His Imperial Majesty, and holding the imperial titles of Shahanshah ("King of Kings"), and Aryamehr ("Light of the Aryans"), was the monarch of Iran from September 16, 1941 until the Iranian Revolution on February 11, 1979. He was the second monarch of the Pahlavi dynasty and the last Shah of the Iranian monarchy. - Googoosh
Googoosh (also spelled as Gogosh and Googosh and Gougoush), [born Faegheh Atashin on February 7, 1951 in Tehran, Iran], is an Iranian pop singer and actress. In the 1970s, Googoosh was considered the most celebrated recording artist in Iran. In addition to music, Googoosh was a prolific actress in several Iranian films of the 1960s and 1970s. - Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi (born Maryam Azodanlu in 1953 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian political and feminist activist. - Farah Pahlavi
Farah Pahlavi is the widow and third wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (the late Shah of Iran) and the only Shahbanu (Empress) of modern Iran. Though the titles and distinctions of the Iranian imperial family were legally abolished by the new government, she often is styled Empress or Shahbanou, out of courtesy, by foreign media as well as by supporters of the former monarchy. She does use the title "Empress Farah Pahlavi", … - Hossein Derakhshan
Hossein Derakhshan, also known as Hoder, is an Iranian journalist and weblogger based in Toronto. His weblog, which is blocked in Iran by the government, is among the most-read weblogs in Persian. He is also credited with starting the blogging revolution in Iran while getting funds from the Iranian regime. He is also seen going in and out of the Iranian embassy in Paris and London. and is called by many journalists as the father of Persian blogging. - Amir Kabir
Amir Kabir, also known as Mirza Taghi Khan Amir-Nezam, was the Prime minister of Persia (Iran) under Nasereddin Shah (The emperor). He was born in Hazaveh, a county of Arak. His father, Karbalaee Ghorban, was a cook for Mirza Abu'l-Qasim Farahani Qá'im Maqam, a previous prime minister, which made Mirza Taghi Khan learn many skills of the court. - Vali Nasr
Vali Reza Nasr (b. 1960) is an Iranian-American academic and scholar, as well as Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University. An expert in contemporary Middle Eastern affairs and Islam and politics, in January, 2006, Nasr was named the Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think-tank focusing on foreign policy. - Zoroaster
Zoroaster or Zarathustra, also referred to as Zartosht, was an ancient Iranian prophet and religious poet. The hymns attributed to him are the scriptural basis of Zoroastrianism. Zoroaster is generally accepted to be an authentic historical figure. - Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav (born Musā Qassāb on 5 December 1945) is a former President of Israel and member of the Knesset. The end of his term of President was marked by controversy, and from 25 January 2007 until his resignation on 1 July 2007, he was on a leave of absence amid impending charges of crimes stemming from his alleged rape of one female subordinate which was later dropped, as well as the sexual harassment of others. - Mohammad-Ali Abtahi
Hojjat ol-Eslam Seyyed Mohammad Ali Abtahi is an Iranian (Persian) politician, close to former President Mohammad Khatami. He has served first as President Khatami's chief of staff, then his Vice President for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and finally his advisor. He was the first cabinet member in Iran to write a weblog or have an Orkut account during his membership in the cabinet. - Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
Mostafa Mohammad Najjar is the defense minister of Iran. At 49, he is a veteran of the Revolutionary Guards since the establishment of the body in 1980, where he was in charge of the Middle East Department, with Israel, Lebanon and the Persian Gulf as places of particular attention. - Ali Akbar Velayati
Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati is an Iranian politician and a pediatrician, currently an Advisor in International Affairs to the Supreme Leader. He was the Foreign Minister of Iran for about 16 years (December 15, 1981 - August 20, 1997), making him the longest-serving Foreign Minister in Iranian history. Velayati served for two terms under Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi from 1981 to 1988 and then two more terms under President Hashemi Rafsanjani from 1988 to 1997. - Anousheh Ansari
Anousheh Ansari (born 12 September 1966) is the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. (TTI). The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X PRIZE. On September 18, 2006, just a few days after her 40th birthday, she became the first female and fourth overall space tourist, the first female Muslim, and first Iranian in space. - Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi has received 52 prestigious international and national awards. Born in Mianeh in Iranian Azerbaijan, Jafar Panahi is a graduate of filmmaking from the IRIB College in Tehran. After directing 5 short films and acting as an assistant director for some acclaimed directors, like Abbas Kiarostami in Through the Olive Trees, Panahi made his debut feature, The White Balloon in 1995, which turned out to be the event of Cannes `95. - Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi is a Kurdish Iranian film director. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Iran. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema. - Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohsen Makhmalbaff (born May 29, 1957, Tehran) is an influential and controversial Iranian film director, writer, editor, and producer. He is currently the president of Asian Film Academy. His films have been widely presented in international film festivals in the past 10 years. As of 2002, he had gained 26 international prizes. He belongs to the "new wave" movement of Iranian cinema. - Azar Nafisi
Azar Nafisi, Ph.D. (born December 1955) is an Iranian professor and writer who currently resides in the United States. Nafisi's bestselling book "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" has gained a great deal of public attention and been translated into 32 languages. - Omid Memarian
Omid Memarian is a progressive Iranian journalist and social activist. He was awarded the Golden pen at the National Press Festival in Iran at 2001. He has been blogging since 2001, in English and Persian. He used to work with Hayat-e No (New Life), Yas-e-no (New Jasmin), Vaqaye-e Ettefaqiyeh (Occurring Events) and Sharq (or Shargh = East) daily newspapers in Iran. Omid is Editor in Chief of Volunteer Actors Quarterly which deals with civil society issues.
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