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Iran Is an American embassy in Tehran, the

Ancient Country capital city. They took 52 Americans TIMELINE

hostage. They didn’t let them go Around 550 BCE: Persian
for more than 400 days. Relations Empire is formed.
between the United States and Iran
Long before Iran was called Iran, it
have been tense ever since.
was known as Persia. Its civilization 663 CE: Arab invasion begins.
dates back thousands of years. It Today Iran has uneasy relations
was ruled by dynasties of kings who with much of the world. The country 1501: Start of the Safavid
were later called shahs. Susa was has been working on a nuclear Empire.
its first great city. People lived there program. It has been accused of
as far back as 4200 BCE. many human rights violations. Other 1906: Iran adopts a
countries and the United Nations constitution.
The Persian Empire was Shah have tried to change Iran’s behavior

formed around 550 Mohammad Reza with sanctions. 1925: Reza Khan becomes
BCE. At its peak, its Pahlavi left Iran ruler of Persia.
borders reached from in 1979 and was
the Mediterranean Sea granted asylum in 1935: Persia is renamed Iran.
to modern-day Pakistan. Egypt. with his plan. So did $20
During the seventh century
many of the people. billion 1941: Mohammad Reza
CE, Persia became part of
Led by Ayatollah Khomeini, Pahlavi becomes Shah of Iran.
the Islamic Empire. Islam became Estimated fortune of
they started a revolution. Khomeini the Pahlavi family when
the official religion in 1501, when
was a powerful religious leader. He they left Iran, in 1979 1979: Islamic Revolution
the Safavid dynasty took control.
had been living in exile for going dollars. sends Pahlavi into exile. Iran
In 1935, the country’s name against the shah. • Iran was known as becomes a republic. It adopts a
was changed to Iran. In 1941, Persia until 1935. new constitution.
In 1979, Pahlavi and his family
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi became • It was ruled by dynasties
fled Iran. Shortly after, Khomeini
shah. He ruled Iran for 36 years. He for thousands of years. 1980: War between Iran and
returned home. Iran became the
tried to modernize and westernize • Islam became the state Iraq begins. It lasts eight years.
Islamic Republic of Iran. Khomeini
the country. But Iran’s religion in 1501.
was its supreme leader. Later that
10 religious leaders disagreed year, Islamic students stormed the • Iran became a republic 11
in 1979.