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Country Profile - Iran
Iran Representative
It is a country of particulargeostrategic significance owing to its location in the Middle East and central Eurasia. Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. As Iran is a littoral state of the Caspian Sea, which is an inland sea, Kazakhstan and Russia are also Iran's direct neighbors to the north. Iran is bordered on the east byAfghanistan and Pakistan, on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by Iraq and on the northwest by Turkey. Supreme leader is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Capital city is Tehran. Major language is Persian. Major religion is Islam. Population is about 75.1 million (UN, 2010). Area is about 1.65 million sq km (636,313 sq miles). Monetary unit 10 Iranian rials = 1 toman. Internet domain is .ir. International dialling code +98.

Since the 2009 more than 100 journalists & bloggers have been imprisoned in Iran. More than 65 journalists are still serving their jail term some are for death sentence since 1996 which is highest in the world.

Iran has now become a newly evolved prison for journalism since the Ahmadinejad government came to power.

Many News agencies, associations & other related establishment have been banned & closed down forcibly after the 2009 disputed elections.

Foreign Journalists & assistants are not welcomed or if invited are put under strict observation.

Persecution of press personnel is common where executors of news work face threats, are harassed, beaten by the forces, maltreated in jails.

Travel Advisory for Journalists

Visits by foreign journalists is restricted & permitted under strict controls. It is advised to take prior permission from the local authorities & in case of any emergency report to respective foreign mission. Due to the closure of most of the media establishment one may find difficulty in taking coverage & communicating it to distant centers as various news generating network is now in shambles. Always follow the news generation safe guards while executing work.