Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-226).

Introduction by Stephen Kinzer -- Afghanistan : "Operation Enduring Freedom" -- Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud -- Armed forces -- "Axis of evil" -- A closer look : Bush, Iraq, and the world, by Strobe Talbott -- Clerics -- The constitutional revolution (1905) -- Culture -- Cyrus the great -- Darius I -- Dynastic history -- Ebadi, Shirin -- Economy -- Farsi and other languages -- Flag -- Iran-Contra Affair -- Iran hostage crisis -- Iran-Iraq war -- Iraq: "Operation Iraqi Freedom" -- A closer look: warfare in the 21st century, by Peter Saracino -- The Islamic revolution (1978-1979) -- The Islamic world -- Judicial system -- Khamenei, (Ayatollah) Ali -- Khatami, Mohammad -- Khomeini, (Ayatollah) Ruhollah -- Kurds -- Land -- Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi -- Mosaddeq, Mohammad -- Oil -- People -- Persia -- Political system -- Rafsanjani, Ali Akbar Hashemi -- Reforms -- The revolutionary guards -- Reza Shah Pahlavi -- Schools -- Shah 'Abbas I -- Shah Isma'il -- Shari�ah -- Shi�ites -- Sunni -- Tehran -- The United Nations -- A closer look : the UN Security Council, by Edward C. Luck -- Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) -- The white revolution (1963) -- World heritage sites -- Xerxes I.

This resource examines Iran's historical, cultural, and political landscape from the Constitutional Revolution of 1905 to Weapons of Mass Destruction. Explanatory passages on leaders and historical events place current ongoing developments into the broader context of the Muslim world, the War on Terror, and the push for democratic reform. Includes photos, maps, and brief, insightful essays on important, relevant issues by authors like Strobe Talbott.--From publisher description.