Is Iran an Arab Country?

In 1979, Iran became an Islamic Republic after the Islamic Revolution overthrew the regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since then, the clerics have assumed control under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who became the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution and the head of its ruling system. One of the most frequently asked questions when Iran is mentioned is whether Iran is an Arab country.

This article will address the most common questions about Iran and its relationship with the Arab world.

Iran

Iran is derived from the word "Aryans," meaning "the land of the Aryans." It is located in Western Asia and is the third-largest country in the Middle East by population, with approximately 84 million people, according to World Population Review statistics. It is also the second-largest country in the Middle East by area, covering 1,648,000 square kilometers, after Saudi Arabia.

Geopolitically, Iran's location is significant as it serves as a crossroads for three Asian regions: Western, Central, and Southern Asia. It is bordered to the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan, and overlooks the Caspian Sea. To the east, it shares borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan; to the south, it is bordered by the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; to the west, it is bordered by Iraq, and to the northwest, by Turkey.

Tehran, the largest city and capital of Iran, benefits from the country's extensive reserves of oil and natural gas, which have established Iran as a regional power with a crucial role in international energy security and the global economy. Iran holds the second-largest natural gas reserves and the third-largest confirmed oil reserves in the world.

Iran’s Economy

The gross domestic product (GDP) of Iran amounted to about $463 billion for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Iran’s economy is characterized by a significant hydrocarbon sector, along with agricultural and service sectors, and a notable state presence in the manufacturing and financial services sectors. Economic activity and government revenues in Iran heavily depend on oil revenues. The Iranian authorities have adopted a comprehensive strategy aimed at implementing market-based reforms, as outlined in the government’s 20-year vision document and the five-year development plan for 2016/2017 to 2021/2022. This plan is based on three pillars: developing an adaptive economy, advancing in science and technology, and promoting cultural and civilizational superiority.

Iranian Culture

Few countries have such a long cultural heritage as Iran, and few people are as aware of and discuss their deep cultural traditions as the Iranians do. Iran's history as a historical entity dates back to Persia, and despite political, religious, and historical changes, Iranians maintain a deep connection to their past. Moreover, daily life in modern Iran is closely intertwined with Shiite Islam. The country's art, literature, and architecture are constant reminders of its deep national traditions and the broader literary culture that spread throughout the Middle East and South Asia during the pre-modern period. Much of the history of modern Iran highlights the fundamental tension between Shiite piety promoted by Iranian clerics and the Persian cultural heritage.

Despite the dominance of Persian culture, Iran remains a multi-ethnic country. Armenian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, and other smaller ethnic minorities each have their own literary and historical traditions dating back many centuries, and these groups often maintain close links with the larger cultural life of their relatives outside Iran.

Is Iran an Arab Country?

The answer to the question of whether Iran is an Arab country is straightforward: No, Iran is not an Arab country. However, explaining why requires addressing the question, "Who are the Arabs?" This is not a simple task, which led historian Bernard Lewis to dedicate 14 pages to the topic in his introduction to Arabs in History. Lewis noted that the term “Arab” can have several different meanings simultaneously and that establishing a general, standard definition has rarely been possible.

Perhaps the simplest definition of an Arab is a person who speaks Arabic, but this definition is insufficient. The Arabs were named based on their origin, which traces back to Arab bin Yashjab bin Qahtan bin Adnan bin Aber bin Shalakh. They were the first to speak the Arabic language. Historians classify Arab genealogies into two categories:

Defunct Arabs: Those who disappeared and whose existence ended before Islam.

Remaining Arabs: These are further divided into:

Original Arabs: Also known as the Qahtanis, these are the indigenous Arabs.
Arabized Arabs: These were not originally Arabs but are believed to have descended from the Chaldeans. Their lineage traces back to their ancestor Adnan, whose lineage extends to the Prophet Ismail bin Ibrahim. Ismail married a woman of Arab origin from the Jarhum tribe near Mecca. Their children spoke Arabic due to their mother's tribe and are thus referred to as Arabized Arabs.

Where Is Iran Located?

The Republic of Iran is located in Western Asia. It is bordered to the north by Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, to the south by the Arabian Gulf, to the west by Turkey and Iraq, and to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Iran and Arab Countries

Due to its location in the Middle East, its Muslim majority, and its language, which resembles Arabic in the script, Iran is often incorrectly classified as an Arab country. However, it is not a member of the Arab League in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Given Iran’s geographical borders with some Arab countries, such as Iraq and those bordering the Arabian Gulf, Iranian culture is intertwined with Arab culture. The history of Iranians traces back to the Persians, with Persian history largely beginning with King Cyrus the Great, who is credited with liberating Babylon in 528 BC. Iran, like the Arab world, has a rich civilization. For example, the oldest known charter of human rights, the Cyrus Cylinder, is housed in the British Museum in London. Persian and Arab histories did not merge until the seventh century with the Islamic conquest of Persia.

Historically, many Arab countries were once under the rule of the Persian Empire, especially before the advent of Islam. Once Islam emerged, it spread rapidly, and Arabic became the official language in many regions. For example, Egypt abandoned its traditional language in favor of Arabic. However, the Persian people retained their language despite the spread of Islam. Persian and Arabic are quite distinct languages, though Arabic is used for the recitation of the Holy Quran in Iran. The Persian and Arabic languages are almost incompatible; they differ significantly in grammar and structure.

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