Iran was historically known in the Western world as Persia before March 1935, when Reza Shah requested the international community use the native name, Iran. While "Persia" was used for centuries based on the Greek name for the Fars region, the Iranian people have internally referred to their country as Iran or related terms (like Aryānām or Iranshahr) for thousands of years.
The biblical name for modern-day Iran is primarily Persia (Paras), appearing frequently in the Old Testament books of Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah, referring to the powerful Achaemenid Empire, though earlier texts mention Elam, a region within ancient Iran. Key figures like Cyrus the Great are central to biblical narratives, as he allowed Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem from Babylon.
Ancient Iran, historically known as Persia, was the dominant nation of western Asia for over twelve centuries, with three successive native dynasties—the Achaemenid, the Parthian, and the Sasanian—controlling an empire of unprecedented size and complexity.
Persia hasn't been a country since 637 AD. They're called Iranians. In 1935, Persia changed it's name to Iran. Was there any attempts to rename the "Persian Gulf" to the "Iranian Gulf?"
Before the Muslim conquest of Iran, the Persian people were predominantly Zoroastrian. The historian al-Masudi, a Baghdad-born Arab, who wrote a comprehensive treatise on history and geography in about 956, records that after the conquest: Zoroastrianism, for the time being, continued to exist in many parts of Iran.
When did Persia become Iran? (Short Animated Documentary)
Do Iranians consider themselves Persian?
Today, many Iranians abroad identify themselves as “Persian.” However, when it comes to the rights of other nationalities within Iran, they resort to statements like “We're all Iranian,” to downplay their significance.
Iran is not an Arab country, and the differences between Iranians and Arabs are evident in their ethnicity, language, history, and culture. Iranians are primarily Persians who speak Farsi, while Arabs are a distinct ethnic group who speak Arabic.
Although Iran was never a colony, it nonetheless bore the weight of British imperialism. Through capital, corruption, and coercion, the AIOC and the diplomatic service ensured that Iran was subsumed into the 'informal empire' and its oil industry operated for Britain's benefit.
According to the book Documents on the Persian Gulf's name the Arabs likewise referred to Iran and the Persian (Sassanian) Empire as Bilād Fāris (Arabic: بلاد فارس), which means "Lands of Persia", and using Bilād Ajam (Arabic: بلاد عجم) as an equivalent or synonym to Persia.
From the time nations began, the Bible calls the Promised Land “the land of Canaan” until the days of Joshua around 1390 BC when that region took on the designation “the land of Israel.” The Bible never calls it Palestine.
Iran, once called Persia, has been a major power for over 2,500 years. It began in 550 BC when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire. That empire ruled much of the ancient world. Since then, the Persian state has survived under many dynasties – Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid, Safavid, and others.
Scripture also predicts that in the last days, a great coalition from the north—including Persia (modern-day Iran)—will rise up against Israel (see Ezekiel 38–39). While the Middle East conflicts we've seen are not the full fulfillment of that prophecy, it is certainly a foreshadowing.
The Persian Empire began to decline under the reign of Darius's son, Xerxes. Xerxes depleted the royal treasury with an unsuccessful campaign to invade Greece and continued with irresponsible spending upon returning home. Persia was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great in 334 B.C.E.
Iranian: The Differences. Persia was the official name of Iran in the West prior to 1935 (derived from the ancient kingdom of Parsa and the Persian empire). However, Persian people within their country have long called it Iran (often spelled Eran).
Iran has close ties with Lebanon and considers it an ally. Iran also has close ties with the Lebanese political party Hezbollah and its militia force to whom it reportedly provides as much as $100 million in supplies and weaponry per year. Iran has been a staunch supporter of both Lebanon and Hezbollah against Israel.
You are at risk of arrest, detention and a death sentence if you travel to Iran. British nationals are at increased risk of questioning and detention by the Iranian authorities.
Total UK imports from Iran amounted to £145 million in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2025 (an increase of 4.3% or £6 million in current prices, compared to the four quarters to the end of Q2 2024). At the end of 2023, the stock of FDI from the UK in Iran are not available due to data disclosure.
The ancient Persians were an Indo-Iranian people who migrated to the Iranian plateau during the end of the second millennium B.C., possibly from the Caucasus or Central Asia. Originally a pastoral people who roamed the steppes with their livestock, they were ethnically related to the Bactrians, Medes and Parthians.
Are Lebanese Arabs? The Lebanese government considers those people that identify as coming from Lebanon as Arabs, even though many are not descended from people from the Arabian Peninsula. Minority populations that are not Arab include the Armenians as they identify as coming from elsewhere.
Some U.S. citizens have been detained for several months or more. Offenders can face many years in prison. The Government of Iran has imposed exit bans on U.S. citizens that prevent travelers from leaving.
Yes, the ancient land of Persia, now modern-day Iran, has long been a pivotal region in Scripture. Once encompassing Iraq, this area is the cradle of civilization, where Eden, Babel, and Nineveh once stood. Significant events in Esther, Nehemiah, and Daniel took place here.
The Persian Jewish communities include the ancient (and until the mid-20th century still-extant) communities not only of Iran, but also the Armenian, Georgian, Iraqi, Bukharan, and the Mountain Jewish communities.
