Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said Europe could play a useful role in defusing tensions with the United States “by informing the US of the serious error in their analysis, and that they should stop listening to clowns”.
Zarif said that Iran’s next steps will depend on the US reaction, after Iran fired missiles at two Iraqi bases hosting US troops in retaliation for the US assassination of military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari reports from Tehran.
Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo reports from Washington, DC.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.
