- Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. (born), was the thirty-ninth President of the United States from 1977 to 1981, and the Nobel Peace laureate of 2002. Prior to becoming president, Carter served two terms in the Georgia Senate, and was the 76th Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Carter's presidency saw the creation of two cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of Education.
- 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, …
- 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.
- Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi (Persian: مرجان ساتراپی is a contemporary graphic novelist, illustrator and children's book author.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi (born Maryam Azodanlu in 1953 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian political and feminist activist.
- 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.
- 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, …
- 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.
- Hassan Rowhani
Hassan Rowhani is an Iranian politician and cleric, and as of March 2007, a member of the Supreme National Security Council. Rowhani's membership in the council is as one of the two representatives of the Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. He was the chief negotiator with the European countries of UK, France, and Germany over Iran's nuclear program. Under his supervision, his team agreed to suspend nuclear enrichment without any conditions.
- Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel
Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel born in 1945 in Tehran, Iran, is the chairman of the Iranian parliament. He is the first non-cleric in the post since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. While officially ranking as the last (30th) candidate of Tehran in the Iran Majlis election, 2000 after some recounts by the Council of Guardians which had led to annulation of 700,000 Tehrani votes and removal of Alireza Rajaei and Ali Akbar Rahmani from the top 30, …
- Ahmad Jannati
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati Massah (born 1926 in Esfahan) is an Iranian ayatollah and political figure. He is the chairman of the Guardian Council, the body in charge of checking legislation approved by Majlis with the Constitution and "sharia", and approving the candidates in various elections. He is also a temporary Friday prayer imam of Tehran.
- Saeed Mortazavi
Saeed Mortazavi is an Iranian judge and the General Prosecutor of Tehran. Mortazavi became well-known as a hardline special judge for the press court. During his term at the press court, he ordered the closure of about 80 pro-reform newspapers that supported Mohammad Khatami in 1999 on blanket charges. In 2003, he was appointed as the general prosecutor of Tehran, Iran. This promotion caused an outcry from the reformist members of the Majlis of the time.
- Vahid Hashemian
Vahid Hashemian (born July 21, 1976 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian football player who currently plays for Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga and the Iran national football team. He usually plays in the centre forward position. He is nicknamed "helicopter", or "hubschrauber" in German, due to his outstanding ability to hang in the air.
- Mehdi Mahdavikia
Mehdi Mahdavikia is an Iranian football player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga. He is captain of the Iranian national football team and usually plays as a right winger or full-back.
- Kamran Delan
Kamran Delan is a newly emerged Iranian pop star but a well known behind the scene artist who writes, composes, arranges and performs his own music is a truly unique artist who has impressed in Persian Musicmarket in 2005. The Delan family of Abadan, a prosperous and passionate coastal city in Iran, brought forth a son that has become the newest gift to the world of music. Kamran was born in a family rich in love and music.
- Ramin Jahanbegloo
Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo, born 1961 in Tehran, is an Iranian political philosopher and a university professor.
- Marina Nemat
Marina Nemat (b. 1965 in Tehran) is an Iranian author. Her father was a dance teacher, her mother a hairdresser in Teheran. As a devout Catholic and high school student she experienced the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the new regime of Ayatollah Khomeini. Marina was opposed to the oppressive policies of the new Islamic government, attending demonstrations and writing anti-revolutionary articles in a student magazine.
- Majid Majidi
Majid Majidi (born 1959 in Tehran) is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Born in an Iranian middle class family, he grew up in Tehran and at the age of 14 he started acting in amateur theater groups. He then studied at the Institute of Dramatic Arts in Tehran. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, his interest in cinema brought him to act in various films, most notably Mohsen Makhmalbaf's "Boycott" in 1985.
- Nazanin Afshin-Jam
Nazanin Afshin-Jam (born 1979 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian-Canadian Singer, Songwriter, International Human Rights Activist, model, musician, actress and a former Miss World Canada, and Miss World 1st runner up. She immigrated to Canada with her family in 1981.
- 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.
- Ramin Farahani
Ramin Farahani is an Iranian film maker. Born in 1969 in Tehran, Ramin started with photography short films in 1987. He studied Film directing at the Cinema and Theater department of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Tehran University between 1989 and 1993. In 1994, he moved to the Netherlands where he continued studies at the Dutch Film and Television Academy of Amsterdam from 1997 to 1999. His latest film was a documentary titled "Jews of Iran", released in 2004.
- Mohammad-Reza Khatami
Seyyed Mohammad Reza Khatami (also known as Reza Khatami, born 1959 in Ardakan, Iran) is an Iranian politician. He was the first Secretary-General of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, the largest Iranian reformist party. He is now a member of the central council of the party. He is also the younger brother of the fifth Iranian president Mohammad Khatami, and the former deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament.
- Mohammad Reza Bahonar
Mohammad Reza Bahonar is the conservative First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Iran. He is a representative from Kerman. In previous parliaments, he has been elected as a representative from Kerman and Tehran. He is considered a key member of the conservatice alliance, and was considered a possible candidate for the post of the speaker or the leader of the conservative faction in the parliament.
- Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad (Born 1954 in Tehran) is an Iranian film director and Screenwriter. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in film directing from the College of Fine Arts, Tehran University and began her career as a documentary filmmaker for IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting). She worked as an assistant director before directing her first feature film 'Off Limits' (1987).
- Andranik Teymourian
Andranik Teymourian (also spelt Andranik Teimourian,, , born March 6, 1983 in Tehran, Iran) is an Armenian-Iranian football player currently playing for Bolton Wanderers in the FA Premier League and the Iran national football team. He usually plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also play as a winger. He is noted for being the only Christian footballer in the Iranian national team, in which he has excellent relations with all of his team-mates.
- Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Santa Clara University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the University of Iowa, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in History of Religions at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Until recently, he was both Visiting Assistant Professor of Islamic and Middle East Studies at the University of Iowa and the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
- Maz Jobrani
Maziar "Maz" Jobrani (born February 26, 1972 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian-American comedian who is part of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, on radio and in comedy clubs. His filmography includes roles in The Interpreter, Friday After Next and Dragonfly.
- Alireza Assar
Alireza Assar (born 1969, Shahr-e Rey) is an Iranian pop singer and the Piano player. The oldest child of a 4 member family in Tehran, His studied Piano under the supervision of Kavous Samandar, Javad Maaroufi and Mostafa Pourtorab. His first concert was in "Aboureihan-e Birooni " Hall in Shahid Beheshti University at age 16 as the Piano Player. Since then he had several concerts worldwide.
- `abdu'L-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran, Persia on May 23, 1844, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh and Ásiyih Khánum, Navváb. He was born on the very same night on which the Báb declared his mission. During his youth, `Abdu'l-Bahá was shaped by his father's station as a prominent member of the Bábís.
- Shadmehr Aghili
Shadmehr Aghili (born 1973) is an Iranian musician, singer and songwriter born in Tehran. Shadmehr's father, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, died when Shadmehr was only a university student. Young Shadmehr began studying music with the encouragement of his brother and mother. He learned to play the piano and the violin just before he was 12 years old. The guitar is also an instrument which Shadmehr learned to play in a dexterous manner.
- Parviz Davoodi
Parviz Davoodi (born 1952 in Tehran) is the current First Vice President of Iran (since September 11, 2005). He is also an economist at Shahid Beheshti University. Although president Ahmadinejad is known to have conservative ideals, Dr. Davoodi teaches liberal economic perspectives in his classrooms at Shahid Beheshti University. It is believed that his economic ideas are highly influenced by modern economic theory. He is for free markets and open economies.
- Simin Behbahani
Simin Behbahani (born July 20, 1927, Tehran, Iran) is one of the most prominent figures of the modern Persian literature and one of the most outstanding amongst the contemporary Persian poets. She is Iran's national poet and an icon of the Iranian intelligentsia and literati who affectionately refer to her as "the lioness of Iran". Behbahani started writing poetry at twelve and published her first poem at the age of fourteen.
- Maryam Namazie
Maryam Namazie is a Communist activist of Iranian descent. She is mainly known for her activities for women's rights, asylum seeker's rights, gay rights and for her fight against the Islamic republic and political Islam internationally. She is also the leader of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain.
- Roya Hakakian
Roya Hakakian (born 1966) is an Iranian-Jewish writer who, in 1984, fled with her family from Tehran to the United States, where she now works as a poet ("For the Sake of Water"), journalist (NPR's "Weekend Edition"), and documentary filmmaker (Her short film, "Armed and Innocent", is about the involvement of underage children in wars around the world).
- Amir-Abbas Fakhravar
Amir-Abbas Fakhravar ("Amir-Abbās Fakhr-āvar", also known as "Siavash" (Persian: سیاوش), born 6 July, 1975 in Tehran) is an Iranian writer, and former journalist for the now banned pro-reform daily newspapers Mosharekat and Khordad. He is known for his political activism and has been described as one of Iran’s student leaders. He is currently based in Washington, DC.
- Forough Farrokhzad
Forough Farrokhzad. A new English translation of a selection of her poems by Maryam Dilmaghani is published on-line by the name of "Forough Farrokhzad: The Sad Little Fairy" to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her death. Nasser Saffarian has directed three documentaries on her; "The Mirror of the Soul" (2000), "The Green Cold" (2003), and "Summit of the Wave" (2004). [See discussion.]
- Mohammad-Javad Larijani
Mohammad Javad Ardashir Larijani is an Iranian politician and mathematician. He is currently the Director of Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics in Tehran. Previously, he has been a Majlis representative and the director of Majlis Research Center, and a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. While not wearing the Islamic clerics uniform anymore, Larijani, raised in a religious family, …