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Iran: Middle East
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Less than half of the people of Iran are Persians (46%), but they are culturally and structurally dominating the Iranian society. Other large peoples of Iran are s, 17% and Kurds, 9%. Kurds live along the border areas close to Iraq, and in a territory close to Turkey. The Azeris live north and east of the Kurds, and the two peoples are divided by Lake Urmiye. Both Kurds and Azeris make up a large part of the population of the capital Teheran.
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Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia. It extends over a total area of 1,648,000 sq km (636,300 sq mi). The country is roughly triangular in shape, with its longest side extending in a slightly outward arc for 2,500 km (1,600 mi) from the border with Turkey in the northwest to the border with Pakistan in the southeast. The third point of the triangle lies in the northeast, about halfway along Iran’s border with Turkmenistan. Iran’s greatest extent from north to south is 1,600 km (1,000 mi) and from east to west is 1,700 km (1,100 mi).
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Iran possesses one of the largest missile inventories in the Middle East and has acquired complete missile systems and developed an infrastructure to build missiles indigenously. It has purchased North Korean Scud-Bs, Scud-Cs, and Nodong ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, Iran has ... developed short-range artillery rockets and is producing the Scud-B and the Scud-C—called the Shehab-1 and Shehab-2, respectively. Iran recently flight-tested the 1,300 km-range Shehab-3, which is based on the North Korean Nodong. The Shehab-3 is capable of reaching Israel. Following this most recent flight-test, the Shehab-3 was placed in service and revolutionary guard units were officially armed with the missiles.
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Given the alarmingly advanced state of Iran�s nuclear program, the US military might well consider an all-out assault against Iran�s nuclear installations. But preemptive strikes carry grave repercussions: Iran�s retaliation options include a devastating disruption of oil shipments from the Persian Gulf, attacks on US Naval installations throughout the Middle East, and, perhaps most frightening of all, summon their terrorist allies in widespread factions like Hezbollah to initiate vicious terrorist attacks against Americans on every continent.
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Up-to-date information on safety and security, including safety and security in Iran, can ... be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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[A]ccording to recently revealed documents discovered in Tehran after the revolution, in the late 1970s Iran and Israel discussed a plan to modify Israel's surface-to-surface Jericho missiles for use by Iran—missiles that could be equipped with nuclear weapons. And, despite Akbar Etemad's beliefs, the Western intelligence community had long suspected that the Shah's nuclear scientists conducted research into military applications. Suspected activities at the TNRC include nuclear weapons design, plutonium extraction and laser-enrichment research. By the time of the Islamic Revolution in January 1979, Iran's nuclear program was considered one the most advanced in the Middle East.
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