Iran (Persia)
Official name: the Islamic Republic of Iran
Population: 92 417 681
Area: 1 648 195 km²
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Iran 2024/25 ...under construction
Iran (Persja) 2013
Introduction to Iran
The Iran section cost me a lot of work and I believe that this part will not only serve as a preparation for the trip, but will also prove to be an educational read about this very interesting country. I know Iran very well because I have travelled there twice. In 2013 I was there for 1.5 months and at the turn of 2024/25 I was in Iran for 3.5 months.
Kompas Travel is an independent media, resistant to political correctness and globalist propaganda, and is not influenced by the mainstream media. This will be noticeable in some parts of all articles.
Polish refugees in Iran
Before I get to the description of Iran, I would like to inform that as a Pole, I sincerely thank Iran for accepting 120.000 Polish refugees, who fled to Iran from Siberia in 1942. After Germany and Russia invaded Poland in 1939 and divided Polish territory, in the years 1939-41 the Communist regime of the Soviet Union deported about 1.7 million Poles to Siberia, 100,000 Polish women were raped, and around 500,000 Poles died during the fight against the Communist invaders . In the meantime, the repression of the Soviet Communists against Poles continued. The living conditions of Poles in Siberia were so catastrophic, that most of them died of cold and starvation, working themselves to death in the COMMUNIST DEATH CAMPS ! ! !
“The first government of the Soviet Union was 80% – 85% Jewish.”
– Russian President Vladimir Putin
In 1942 began the exodus of surviving Poles to Iran, across the Caspian Sea. A total of about 120.000 Poles found safe refuge in Iran. Among them were malnourished and suffering from diseases and hunger Polish women and children. Iranians treated Poles with respect, took care of them, and educated Polish children in Polish. Polish soldiers went to Iraq to train there, and then returned to Europe to fight against Germany. However, many Poles remained in Iran, and the Iranians were so good that they even gave the Poles shelters in government buildings. In the years 1942 – 1945 over 2,000 Polish children passed through Isfahan, which is why Isfahan was briefly called “the city of Polish children”.
Today in Tehran there is a Polish Cemetery, with 1937 Polish graves. I sincerely thank Iran for this noble act. God bless your beautiful country and its good people.
Polish cemetery in Tehran – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Cemetery_in_Tehran
Flags of Poland and Iran.
“The Axis of Evil”
We’ve all heard the horror stories in the media about Iran as the “axis of evil” and that it works on nuclear weapons. I find these stories to be exaggerated thrillers for naive children, in which unfortunately whole nations believe. I assure everyone that behind all lies always hides economics and lust for power.
According to Goldman Sachs Iran has the potential to be one of the most powerful economies of the twenty-first century, which is why the West fearing for its influence wants to stop Iran’s economic growth because it would have a disastrous effect on them. Where diplomacy does not help military force does and by taking the natural resources, by setting up economic control and by building strategic advantage in someone else’s region the West guarantees itself economic growth. Besides, paying for the army and investing billions each year in new weaponry, in some countries is genuinely for defensive reasons but in others countries it is an investment which must pay back; and such country is the USA. I under consideration an opinion that would be better if Muslim countries didn’t have nuclear bombs, although on the other hand I wonder why the fanatical Muslim country: Pakistan, was not stopped.
When it comes to accusing Iran of terrorism I believe that to some extent it is true, although I want to remind that the most extreme Muslim terrorist organizations, such as ISIS, were created by the US and Israel. I also believe that any acts of terrorism organized by Iran are a direct response to the Western politics, whilst Muslim terrorism does not come from Iran but mainly from countries allied with the United States, such as: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Afghanistan.
The United States has over 40 military bases in all Muslim countries around Iran. In addition, the US has destroyers and submarines in the Persian Gulf armed with nuclear warheads. Apart from that, there is also the illegally established military base of Israel, which burns with hatred for Iran. Therefore, who is a threat to whom here???
When it comes to cutting off Iran from the rest of the world I see it in the following way: the U.S. captured Iraq and Afghanistan and has military bases in almost every Arab country and it has the military base of Israel. This means that Iran is cornered and cut off from the world. Let’s imagine that Iran would have enough military and enough political and medial power to conquer Canada and Mexico, plant a huge army in Cuba and destroyers and the Gulf of Mexico. Then Iran would cut off the U.S. from the rest of the world and it would call it the “axis of evil”.
This is exactly what America is doing to Iran for its own economic benefits. Meanwhile, the absurd American or British people have come to believe that Iranians were born evil, even though I doubt they even know where Iran is. Under the influence of the media, people would believe anything. In the current geopolitical situation, Iran can only defend itself.
Let’s test my readers’ intelligence once again: “When the US invades half of the world it is still good, but when Iran defends itself it is bad.”
To my critics:
I know there is a regime in Iran and there are political prisoners, but on the other hand, there are also political prisoners in the officially ‘democratic’ countries like Great Britain or Sweden. From a traveller’s point of view, Iran is therefore a good destination to travel to and I don’t intend to interfere in its internal affairs. I am more interested in all the injustices and political prisoners in Poland and England, while the regime in Iran is neutral to me, because their regime does not dictate to me how I should live in my European country.
An Iranian told me that my European country is ‘free’ and the regime in Iran is killing their people. I believe that the regime in Iran is imprisoning and killing inconvenient Iranians. Yet in the so-called ‘free and democratic’ countries of Europe, governments controlled by Jewish globalists are bringing in foreign armies in the form of ‘refugees’, who murder and rape even children. Meanwhile, inconvenient Europeans who write the truth on this subject are being imprisoned with criminal ‘refugees’, by the ‘champions of freedom and democracy’. How disgusting…
Western countries, saturated with hypocrisy, like to criticize Iran so they could look more innocent themselves. In addition, Western governments are constantly forced to divert attention from the most dangerous internal enemies. That’s why Iran, rich in natural resources is like a gift from heaven for them. I highly recommend Iran as a tourist destination, and I explained above why Iran is not the ‘Axis of Evil’.
I advise white travellers to go to Iran to see beautiful places and get to know this interesting country; but don’t try to fix the problems of the whole world, because Europe already has terrible problems. Let’s leave Iran to the Iranians.
♦
I think that intelligent people should always familiarize themselves with both sides of the conflict. If we only listen to the Jewish media, someone might really believe that in Iran they are materializing Lucifer. That’s why I recommend the Tehran Times so that we could also find out what the government of Iran really thinks.
Tourist Attractions of Iran
Iran is a fascinating tourist destination, rich in history and natural beauty. This country, with its many ancient treasures, is not like the famous Persian fairy tales, but upon closer examination it reveals the charms of ancient Persia. Modern Iran is often presented in a negative light related to politics, but Persia is full of attractions and hospitable people. The cities that are a must-see include Tehran, Kashan, Esfahan, Yazd and Shiraz; and each of them has its own unique charm. I assure you that despite the negative image in the Western media, which focuses on politics and problems, Iran has valuable places worth exploring.
Tehran has a well-developed metro and historical sites such as the Khomeini Mausoleum, the Ebrat Museum and the traditional bazaar near the Golestan Palace. Those in need of peace can also visit the north of Tehran-Tajrish, where there are beautiful gardens, palaces and mountains.
Iranian boy selling fruit in the city of Kashan.
Kashan is famous for its ancient Persian baths, ancient merchant houses and wind catchers. Esfahan is the pearl of Persian tourism; with its blue mosques, mosaics and Persian art, and with the Imam Square as its tourist centre. Yazd is a desert city with unique architecture, a desert-coloured old town and wind catchers to cool down the interiors. The bazaars of Iran are a must-see, as they offer the opportunity to learn about traditional Persian patterns, carpets, teas and sweets.
Shiraz is a city of Persian gardens. Must-see attractions include the Eram and Narajestan gardens, the walls of Arg-e Karim Khan, Bazaar-e Vakil, and the historic bathhouse and mosque. Also worth seeing are the sites associated with Zoroastrianism, such as the Fire Temple and the Tower of Silence. Shiraz is also a base for visiting Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam, Naqsh-e Rajab and the pink salt lake.
Iran has also historical villages, of which the best known are Masuleh, Kandovan and Abyaneh. The two deserts of Iran are also a great adventure. These are the Central Desert and the Lut Desert, which offer extraordinary landscapes and experiences, including oases and majestic rock formations. The deserts also have their own historical sites and villages, such as: Garmeh, Iraj, Bayaze and the famous Bam citadel.
There are also many other lesser-known historical cities in Iran, such as Soltaniyeh and Abarqu. Martin undertook this effort to have greater respect for the tourist and historical values of Iran.
In the Persian Gulf travellers can experience a different side of Iran, visiting the port cities and desert islands of Qeshm and Hormoz. Despite the difficult moments on Qeshm, with limited water and temperatures reaching 45°C, traveller Martin Malik admired the picturesque canyon, as well as the salt cave and mangrove forest.
As for the Islamic Republic, its main locations are the cities of Qom and Mashhad, which are also interesting in order to understand the Iranian religious life and observation of people.
Traditional bazaar in Iran.
While in Iran Martin also climbed mountains, including Damavand and the Rudhkan castle. Whilst hitchhiking and taking buses and eating Persian food, Martin built good relationships with people who were curious about his travels.
– A more complete article on Iran’s tourist attractions, with a political element: The “Axis of Evil” travel guide.
Iran – the present times
Economy
World Bank has classified Iran as a country of medium earnings of a lower level and it is an industrial, moderately developed economy, of which 60% is a centrally administered. With 10% of the world’s proven oil reserves and 15% of its gas reserves, Iran is considered an “energy superpower.” According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, oil exports account for 80% of Iran’s total export earnings and 50% to 60% of government revenues. (I think this short paragraph alone is enough to show why Iran was chosen as the ‘Axis of Evil’. The so-called ‘democratic countries famous for protecting human rights’ want to brazenly rob Iran.)
Iran is a second oil producer of the world (behind Saudi Arabia) and it is on the second place (behind Russia) when it comes to gas reserves. Throughout the years Iran’s economy was not diversified and dependent almost entirely on one sector, what resulted that the control of the government over the economy has frozen the private sector, and one of results of that kind of economy is flourishing corruption and inequality depending on occupation. For example soldiers and the government elite have economic privileges and better chances of promotion and others can count only on themselves. Currently the Iranian economy is in a process of transformation from centrally governed to a free market economy, but how much Iran’s economy becomes free-market depends on oil, which will always be centrally controlled by the government. Many countries in the Middle East are trying to diversify their economies away from their reliance on oil, but it is a difficult transition that will take time. In the case of Iran, it is even more difficult because due to the sanctions imposed by the US, the country’s economy has suffered greatly, and therefore Iran is striving for full self-sufficiency.
Because of sanctions foreign companies did not want to invest in Iran and trade has been limited, what has had its impact the government’s revenues and the lives of average Iranians. A good example is the fact that directly because of sanctions the oil export has shrunk by half, what translates into a big blow to a country where oil export amounts to 25% of GDP. Situation was so bad that for the first time since 1980 poor Iraq overtook Iran at oil export, and in 2012 the value of Rial lost its record value to American dollar. Iran lost also in such a way that a lot of educated Iranians were looking for a job abroad because Iran could not offer them fair salaries. Apart from the very important service sector there is also industry such as mining or agriculture, although that one lost in popularity because a lot people have moved from villages to big cities.
According to the World Bank, Iran’s GDP in 2012 reached $549.9 billion, which is less than 1% of the world’s economy. Over the course of 10 years, we can see what damage sanctions are doing to Iran, because in 2023, Iran’s GDP has reached only $404.63 billion, which is only 0.38% of the world’s economy.
Next, when it comes to Iran’s GDP, I checked how it has changed over 10 years, because I’ve been to the country twice so far. In 2013 Iran’s GDP consisted of, among others: the service sector (45% of GDP), manufacturing and mining (20%), agriculture (10%) and oil (25%). It is important to mention that Iran intends to continue investing in oil production, and for example in 2012, even including sanctions Iran exported 1.5 billion barrels of oil, and experts estimated that in 2015 Iran’s annual revenue from oil sales alone could reach $250 billion. Iran however is very clever and over the years has learned how to bypass sanctions, including by distributing oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars on ships, called “shadow fleet”.
In 2023 the largest sector of the Iranian economy was services, which accounted for 51% of GDP. In the case of services, the most important segments are: real estate and specialist and professional services (14% of total GDP); trade, restaurants and hotels (12%) and public services (10%). Oil production accounts for 23% of Iran’s revenue. Production and mining will contribute 13% of production, and agriculture to 10%. The last large part of GDP is construction and the distribution of electricity, gas and water, which account for 7% of total production. As we can see, over the 10 years Iran’s total revenue has decreased, but the components of GDP also differ slightly.
Amir Chaghmagh Complex. Yazd.
There is also another side of the coin because the Iranian government spends 25% of its GDP on subsidies to make oil and electricity as cheap as it is only possible. As a result of this politics oil consumption has risen by 10% annually. I’ve mentioned that Iran is a powerful oil extractor but on the other hand the equipment is dated and it requires new investments, what means that every year Iran has to import about 45% of its own oil mainly in a form of petrol, because it does not process it by itself. Iranian experts have asked why some of the subsidies had not been spent towards renovation of old equipment, and I think that because of self-efficiency plans this target will have to be met.
The Atlantic Council reports that in 2022 Iran bought $2.12 billion worth of oil extraction equipment from China, as well as $1.43 billion worth of electronics. Iran, which is subject to all possible sanctions has to cope somehow. Experts suspect that in trading with China behind the US back, Iran may be building foreign exchange reserves in Chinese yuan.
As a traveller I am also interested in Iran’s tourism revenue, but there is a lot of different information here. The US and global Jewish media are trying to make Iran look as disgusting as they can, and unfortunately many believe this nonsense. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) the contribution of Travel and Tourism to Iran’s GDP in 2019 amounted to a total of $41.8 billion, which is 7.9% of the total GDP. This is the most optimistic data, as the Iran Travel and Tourism Industry reports that in 2017 tourism revenues accounted for only 2.8% of GDP, or $11.8 billion. The Tehran Times wrote that the Islamic Republic ranks 19th with $48.1 billion in the index of total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in 2021. The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that the share of the tourism industry in Iran’s entire economy increased slightly to 4.7% in 2023. The Iranian Chamber of Commerce has revealed that Iran ranks 73rd among 119 countries in the world in terms of tourism sector growth in 2023. Whichever information is closest to the truth, I wish Iran all the best and assure everyone that Iran is worth visiting.
A unique part of the Iranian economy is the “bonyad”, religious businessmen who are exempt from tax and who own about 20% of the country’s GDP. They have about 120 tax-exempt organizations that also live off various subsidies, control a large part of the service and manufacturing sectors and compete with the private sector. The bonyad are criticized for their huge waste of Iran’s resources, overstaffing, corruption and general lack of profitability. In my opinion they are religious parasites and I think this also partially answers the question of who is stealing money from the tomb of Imam Reza in the endlessly growing Haram in Mashhad and in Qom, and other religious sites. Islam in Iran is a great business at the expense not only of ordinary people but also of the country’s GDP. I think Iran could organize mass corruption trials, which would probably do the average Iranian people a big favour. I’m talking about 20% of GDP and competition with the private sector, so poverty in Iran is not only the result of American sanctions but also internal corruption.
Above I listed very generally the various branches of the Iranian economy, but to be more precise of course each sector is divided into many specializations. Depending on the sector these are large steel factories, chemicals and construction, mining of precious and semi-precious metals, real estate, banking and insurance, clothing production, transportation, road construction, telecommunications, construction of dams, pharmaceuticals; and cultivation of rice, nuts, spices and the entire industry related to the production of dried fruits. One could say that in Iran they produce everything, and when I travelled around Iran I saw those transformations that are taking place in the country and the people doing all those jobs. Iran is also the 20th largest car manufacturer in the world and one of the largest in Asia, with an annual production exceeding 1.6 million cars.
With the above examples I just want to show that the general breakdown of GDP is sometimes too general to have a good idea of the country, because Iran is engaged in thousands of small specializations and services and produces almost everything. As for the private sector, the main products here are pistachios and other nuts. A very important part of the private sector is also handmade carpets, the trade of which reaches $223 million in annual exports. In addition, Iran has a free trade zone in the Persian Gulf on the island of Kish, which on the other hand is also a center for illegal imports, including drugs.
Khomeini mosque in Tehran.
Currently in Iran about 30% of the population lives in poverty and even extreme poverty. According to Iran’s Statistical Center 27% of Iranian citizens live on an income of only $2 per day. A report published by Iran’s Statistical Center on the 7th of January 2025 reveals that 27% of the population earns only $2 per day. In 2024 the average net salary was only $253.36.
According to Trading Economics the unemployment rate in Iran averaged 11.04% from 2001 to 2024, reaching an all-time high of 14.7% in the first quarter of 2002, and an all-time low of 7.20% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Additionally, unemployment among young people (16-24) is as high as 24%.
When it comes to inflation in Iran there are various legends about it, what means that during a month’s trip prices can change a bit. When I travelled to Iran in 2013, the Iranian government claimed that inflation was at 13%, but Iranians were not fooled and knew that it was as much as 25%. Unfortunately in the reports I read from December 2013 Iran could “boast” of inflation at around 36% to even 40%. In 2024, inflation in Iran reached 31.7%.
Tourists see ancient bazaars, beautiful landscapes, interesting monuments and rich art in Iran, but these sad data translate into the daily life of Iranians, which is not so beautiful anymore. Unemployment and high inflation, and consequently the sudden and unexpected depreciation of the rial are the main concerns of the Iranian government. When I was travelling in Iran at the turn of 2024/25, £1 first cost 78 tomans, then 85, 100, and in March 2025 an Iranian woman told me that £1 already cost 120 tomans. Iranians are poorer when they get out of bed in the morning.
Education
Education in Iran is at a higher level than in many other Muslim countries, and education for women is usually as open as for men. Literacy is at 91% and for young people aged 15-24 at 97%, regardless of gender. Compared to previous years, literacy in Iran is increasing. However, schools in Iran are segregated by gender, except for some universities. Girls in all schools must always cover their heads according to Islamic requirements.
A street in Tehran. In the background, the Iranian flag and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Compared to other countries in the region education in Iran is at a good level. For example the average literacy in the Middle East is around 77%, but I believe that in order to approach education fairly, the ‘Middle East’ should be divided into the Asian part and North Africa. In neighbouring Pakistan only 62% can read and write, in Jordan 98%, and even in war-torn Syria it is 94%. However, the average literacy rate in North Africa is only 71% (Statista). There is also always a noticeable difference in literacy level depending on gender.
Education in Iran is free and compulsory, and enrolment has also improved greatly compared to previous times. In the 70s about 70% of children were enrolled in schools, and today it is almost 100%. Then there are two levels of secondary school, each lasting 3 years, of which the first is compulsory and the second is not. The first 3-year stage is to test the young person’s abilities and to direct them professionally at the very end of compulsory education. The second 3-year period of secondary education is not compulsory and this level of education is intended for young people aged 14-17. Enrolment at this stage of education is at the level of 89% (World Bank), and on average 6% of the secondary level of education is private. The second stage of secondary school is also divided into 3 types, which educate in the field of trade, industry, literature, mathematics and many other subjects.
Then, for those aged 17-19 there is a 2 year technical/vocational degree that prepares for a specific profession. Another route is a 1 year pre-university degree that gives the opportunity to apply for university. Then there is a 4 year bachelor’s degree and then a 2 year master’s degree. At the bachelor’s level the government pays for the 4 year degree, and sometimes also for living expenses and tuition at the Islamic Azad University; depending on the subject.
After the 2 year master’s degree there is also a 3 year PhD program, and Iran has the most prestigious universities in West Asia (or the Middle East for those who like to abuse that phrase without understanding it). I will also add that according to SCImago, a global indicator of scientific impact, Iran has 3 universities that are in the top 1000 in the world. Iran used to spend around 5% of GDP on education but in recent years, probably due to sanctions, this has been reduced to 3% of GDP.
All these data look good, but when traveling in Iran I myself experienced the lack of education. There are schools of foreign languages in Iran, but despite this communication in English is very difficult and tiring. Iranians don’t know even the basics of English, and without Google Translate conversation with most Iranians would be impossible. It is downright embarrassing and inconvenient. The situation is so bad that even people who work in hotels and travel agencies don’t speak English too. I advise less Islam, and more English.
For example in Malaysia or the Philippines I could speak quickly and in shortened forms, and everyone understood me, but in Iran I was surprised when someone knew the basics of English. Sometimes there was a group of young people, each of whom understood a little, and as a result, all together they didn’t understand anything. From the point of view of a traveller it is a nightmare. Iranians are definitely not stupid, that’s why I think that the lack of knowledge of English is their negligence.
Azadi tower in Tehran. Iran.
Islamization of education and the role of women
My description of education in Iran can look very good at first, but let’s not forget that Iran has also its second side, which is the “Islamic Republic”.
Soon after the Islamic revolution all schools and universities became a subject of Muslim observation and women were discriminated. Most were not allowed to enter universities because the teachers were Muslim clerics, but over the years women gained equal access to education. According to the constitution of Iran everybody regardless of sex have access to education of all levels. When Khomeini came to power many laws were passed that greatly harmed women, on the other hand many women’s movements were created that fought for their rights.
After Khomeini’s death most prohibitions were lifted, although today in many universities, canteens and libraries sexes are separated. Currently women in Iran represent 50% of university graduates and 70% of graduates at engineering studies! This situation does not fit with the Muslim regime which insists into a greater sex separation and so called “gender balance” in certain fields. In technical studies recruitment of women is limited and at universities where the main subject is oil extraction women are not allowed in at all. On this I agree with the Iranian government because I don’t support the employment of women in male professions.
The Islamic regime excuses itself in a very diplomatic way, saying that it is for the women’s well being because in technical jobs like for example oil extraction women would be 98% unemployed. Besides, according to the Iranian government there are not enough female dorms, what means that women in Iran will never be physicians, archaeologists, IT experts or business women. Based however on the research and on my own opinion the Iranian government is simply worried about this situation because at certain universities women constitute even 68% of students and women achieve better results at education.
On the other hand I understand the limits and I don’t even think that they have anything to do with Islam. If any country in the world had too many women scientists, than such a situation would lead to decline in marriages and procreation, what argues not only with a Muslim but with every other model of a family. For there to be balance in the country, women must have children, but Iranian women are very keen to study. On the other hand nursing studies are open only to women. 10 years ago only 12.5% of medical students were women, but now about 33% of medical school graduates are women. Women in Iran are very important in terms of skilled labour and they contribute to Iran’s GDP.
From time to time there are also extreme events which prove that the Islamic regime tries to force Islam on people who are simply not interested in it at all. Once at the Azad Islamic University a woman was beaten up by the personnel because she didn’t want to wear a hijab (black sheet). In Iran we can indeed speak of the Islamization of education, which involves gender segregation, compulsory prayers in schools, Islamic indoctrination, and Islamic dress requirements for women. Still, I see that Iranians do not let themselves be completely brainwashed and say that Islam should be for Arabs, not for them.
For those who have an unfavourable opinion about the Islamization of Iranian education, I would like to remind that in the so-called ‘democratic’ countries like England, there is a mandatory Islamization of white English Christian children. The same procedure exists in other countries of ‘progressive’ Europe, where Islam is used as one of the tools of destruction of the indigenous cultures of European nations.
With a Persian kitten.
Health
Iran is one of the most populated countries of its region and more than half of the Iran’s population is below 3r years of age (Worldometer 2025). At this age people form families and if their children are there to build Iran and its economy, apart from education, safety and many other things the government should guarantee a good health care. After the Islamic revolution the conservative government of clerics forbid all contraception but they quickly changed their mind when the population almost doubled. For example in 1980, so just one year after the Islamic revolution the population of Iran was 40m, in 2000 it was 60m and in 2013 it was 76m. In 2025, Iran’s population is almost 92.5 million.
In such conditions the health care system should be very reliable and in the recent years it has improved and has more equally distributed in cities and in the country sides. According to data from 2008 the health care system in Iran was worth $24.3bn, in 2013 it stood already at about $50bn, and a few years later the health system in Iran was already worth $96 billion (Wikipedia 2017) . According to the constitutions of most countries that I have visited, every citizen has the right to free health care, but in the Indian Subcontinent or Southeast Asia for example this was pure fiction.
Most Persians have access to free jabs and medications, and in every small village there are also medical practices which offer help for small prices. In cites there are also private clinics which the same as their prices also stand on a higher level. More than 90% of Iran’s population has health insurance, which covers 70% of the cost of medicines and 90% of the cost of public hospitals, with additional benefits for people with rare diseases or living in remote areas. Health care is much easier to find in big cities than in the remote deserts.
Unfortunately in the villages there is a lack of equipment because clinics located far from large cities are not fully covered. Iran also has well educated doctors and health personnel and is self-sufficient in this area. In addition there are also enough hospitals and equipment, as well as 16.3 nurses and 186 hospital beds per 10,000 people. These may seem like small numbers, as for example in Poland there are as many as 613 beds per 10,000 patients, but in sanctions-ridden Iran the situation is still quite good. In comparison, when I was in a hospital in India I had to buy my own syringe and plaster, and the sight of the hospital scared me so much that I gave myself the necessary injections at the hotel. For example in Bangladesh there are only 9 hospital beds per 10,000 people and only 0.5 midwives per 1,000 families, which leads to a huge maternal mortality rate. I give this information for the Persians who always complain about everything and see only problems in Iran.
In terms of statistics, the infant mortality rate is 10 per 1,000 natural births, and the mortality rate for children under 5 is 12 per 1,000. Iran has improved greatly in this regard, as 10 years earlier these numbers were three times higher. The maternal mortality rate in natural births was 16 per 1,000 in 2017, which is another huge improvement, as in 2000 it was 48.
In the desert village of Mesr in the Central Desert.
Apart from that vaccination for children and pregnant women are widely available and polio has been almost completely eliminated. It is also worth mentioning that when it comes to vaccines Iran does not want to let foreign companies onto its market and is self-sufficient. I think this is a very wise move that protects against such promoters of the epidemic as WHO and Bill Gates. After the artificially induced Covid-19, I stopped trusting vaccines ‘for our own good’. By the way, the US also introduced medical sanctions against Iran in order to ‘help’ Iranians to get sick and die.
87% of people in rural Iran have access to safe drinking water, which is a huge improvement from 12% in 1979, during the Islamic Revolution. I remember traveling in the Central Desert, which is covered in salt. There were special wells for drinking water because the tap water and water for animals was salty. In the cities, 100% of people have access to clean drinking water. According to the World Bank, 100% of people have access to sanitation in both villages and cities, which has helped to eradicate tuberculosis.
Unfortunately cholera is a problem and as an example I will give here the year 2005 when 1118 infections and 21 deaths were recorded. Cholera in Iran is coming back but it is a problem that the government does not always want to talk about. When in October 2013 I entered Iran from Armenia I was told to be careful because there was an epidemic in Iran again. I was disinfected just in case. The situation has improved but to this day in many countries, including Iran, cholera epidemics do occur. When traveling in Iran, travellers struggle with dehydration and diarrhoea, which is very unpleasant, but in the case of Iran it is not as frequent and dramatic as in the Indian Subcontinent. The so-called, to put it mildly: ‘traveller’s dehydration’ is a common problem, and certainly the most nightmarish experiences have all travellers roaming India.
Looking at the world malnutrition map, Iran is in the same category as all highly developed countries, which means that statistically less than 5% of the population is malnourished. On the other hand this map doesn’t show everything. A study conducted in 2017 estimated that 8.4% of children under 6 years of age were underweight, 14.5% were stunted, and 5.6% were emaciated. Other studies have shown that 12% of all children in Iran are of small stature and underweight for their age, what occurs mainly in small villages. When I did this study in 2013, this rate was as high as 25%.
The study also found that the prevalence of malnutrition among community-dwelling older adults ranges from 5% to 10%. The estimated prevalence of malnutrition among Iranian nursing home-dwelling older adults was 21.6%, which is higher than for older adults living freely in the community. It is estimated that in 2021, over 63% of Iranian adults were overweight or obese, with overweight/obesity occurring more frequently in women at 66% and in men at 53%.
The main causes of death in Iran are heart attacks, cardiovascular diseases, heart disease, cancer, car accidents, but also depression. Many of the above diseases and related deaths would be avoidable if Iran was not a country of smokers. 14% of Iranians smoke, which is 26% of men and 4.4% of women. The regime in Iran scares people with Israel and America, but I believe that Iranians will be killed faster by cigarettes. Iran has about 13 million smokers, 80% of whom start smoking before the age of 20. However, there are more and more of them every year, and young women also smoke. When I was in Iran I often had to chase away smokers who wanted to talk to me.
When it comes to HIV/AIDS, it is not bad compared to other countries, but the numbers are growing and the main cause is injecting drugs and to a lesser extent sexual contacts. According to the WHO there are currently about 59,000 people living with HIV in Iran, there are 2,400 new infections every year and the number of AIDS-related deaths is about 3,200 per year. Additionally, the taboo associated with the disease prevents better treatment of HIV. Iran also has unfortunately one of the largest drug addicted populations in the world, about 3 million, which also affects HIV infection. In addition, Iran shares a 975 km border with Afghanistan, which is the largest producer and exporter of drugs in the world.
Finally, I would like to share some good news. Iran is popular in terms of medical tourism, and successfully competes with Turkey in this way. Every year about 1 million people go to Iran for various medical procedures. These include hair transplants and dental services, although Iran is known primarily as a center for nose plastic surgery. Walking around Tehran or Shiraz I saw many women and sometimes men who had nose plastic surgeries.
Kaluts sand castles. Iran.
Culture/Religion
Ancient Persia and the Islamic Republic
Before I elaborate on this, I want to point out that traditional Persian culture and the culture associated with the Islamic Republic are two different things. Usually, when we hear about Iran in the media, we imagine this country only in terms of Islam, not knowing that traditional Persian culture is about much more than mosques and hijabs. The typical Muslim stereotypes in Iran certainly exist, but compared to Arabistan or Pakistan, culturally Iran is much higher. The culture of Persia has been shaped over thousands of years and has been influenced by other empires on its territory, which have contributed or impoverished Persia in various ways. The examples I will give are the attacks of the Turks, Mongols, Arabs and Europeans.
I think that especially after the Islamic revolution in 1979, a great division of views appeared in Iranian culture, what I often experienced during my trip. I talked to very conservative young women wrapped in black sheets, who praised Islam and said that having grown up in this culture, they were able to accept the limitations. On the other hand I also talked to girls who said that even with their heads barely covered they looked stupid, they thought that Islam was hopeless and therefore should only be for Arabs; as an inferior race. That is why when it comes to the culture of Persia, I think it is worth dividing it into the pre-revolution and post-revolution one, especially since women play a significant role in this division.
The national and religious division of Iran
I will start by saying that when it comes to racial origins, which interest me to a large extent, Iran is quite diverse. Persians make up only 61% of Iran’s population. Then there are Azeris (16%) and Turks (2%), who live mainly in the north-west with the main city of Tabriz. There are also Kurds (10%), who live in the same part as Azeris but closer to the border areas between Iran and Turkey. Another interesting people are the Lurs (6%), who live mainly in the south-west, although to this day many of them still live a nomadic life, travelling through Iran and living in tents. Lurs are most closely associated with the Kurds, from whom they originate, and their language is a dialect of Kurdish. Then there are Baluchis (2%) who live in the south-eastern areas close to Pakistan, and Arabs (2%) who live mainly in the province of Khuzestan in the north of the Persian Gulf, and in the south in the city of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm island.
There are also other minorities, such as Turkmen (2%), who live mainly in the northern areas along the border with Turkmenistan, and others who together make up about 1% of Iran’s population. These include about 250,000 Armenians, Georgians, Assyrians and Jews. When I travelled around Iran I saw racial and cultural differences between the different nations living in Iran. The Kurds said they were Kurds from Iran, and the Baluchis, resembling Pakistanis and Afghans, said they were from Baluchistan inside Iran. Each of those nations has its own language and cultural and sometimes religious differences, but officially according to the government, they are people of Iran. I saw that those people were of different races, had different ways of life, their own way of dressing, and each of those minorities identified more with their ethnic province than with Iran. When I called them Iranians during the conversation, they protested because they were Kurds and Baluchis.
According to the central government in Tehran they are all ‘Iranians’, but in my opinion this is fiction. I determine affiliation to a given country primarily based on race, and then culture. This means that if for example Arabs or blacks lived in Poland for three generations, they would never be Poles, regardless of their knowledge of Polish, because they wouldn’t meet the ethnic and cultural standards of Poland. I think that the Iranian government partially agrees with me, because: “Persian ethnicity” exists when someone does not speak any regional language and has no other cultural customs than traditional Persian. On the other hand, at first glance you can see the difference between Persians and Baluchis, Arabs or Turks. The main language of Iran is of course Persian (Farsi), but on the other hand Persian as the first language is spoken only by about 52% of the Iranian population, while the rest speak their regional languages first, and treat Persian as a second language. For example in Tabriz they spoke Turkish and treated Persian as a substitute language.
On the premises of the mosque in Qazvin.
The next important thing is religion because Iran has not always been an Islamic republic. The ancient religion and philosophy of ancient Persia, so before the Arab invasion in the 7th century was Zoroastrianism, which to this day has a huge reflection in art, culture and philosophy. According to official data the main religion of Iran is Islam (99.4%), and Iran is the only country where Shia Islam is about 90%-95%. The next significant minority is Sunni Islam (5%-10%), which is the majority in all other Muslim countries. There are also other religious minorities, such as Christians (2%) , Jews and Zoroastrians, and who can practice their customs without hindrance. (I believe that ‘without hindrance’ means that as long as they don’t stand in the way of islam.)
Interestingly, in the Iranian parliament there are two seats for Armenians and one for each of the other minorities: Assyrians, Jews and Zoroastrians. Despite freedom of religion, only the Baha’i do not have a seat in parliament, because Baha’i is not recognized as a religious minority. The Baha’i exist in small communities throughout Iran and have followers in each of the ethnic minorities. From what I’ve noticed the attitude towards me as a Christian in Iran was good and people took it seriously. There are also several ancient churches in Iran, mainly in the north because of the Armenian community and in Esfahan. Near Jolfa, near the border with Armenia, there is an impressive St. Stephanos Cathedral, built in the mountains. The churches in Esfahan, also because of the Armenian minority have interesting frescoes inside, but from the outside they all look like mosques but with a cross on top.
Persian bazaars
An important part of Persian culture are bazaars, which are not only commercial centres but also places of social, political, cultural and religious life. For example, the bazaar in the historic city of Esfahan was built in the 17th century, and its ornate arches and labyrinths give the heart and soul of ancient Persia, which tourist in Iran want to find. In Esfahan, Kashan or Shiraz, shops with silk, carpets and traditional sweets and spices attract the attention of the travellers.
In addition, there are also teahouses in every bazaar, where I often made contact with Persians and answered many questions, because in Iran everyone is very curious why a traveller from Poland wanted to visit their country. Over tea, near a small fountain, right behind the salon with handmade carpets and with a packet of dates in hand, you can spend a very pleasant time. Generally, every city in Iran has its own bazaar, but I think the best ones are in Esfahan, Tehran, Tabriz, Shiraz, Yazd and Kashan.
In the small desert town of Abarqu, in front of Nezamyeh minarets.
The bazaar in Tehran is 10 km in diameter and has been called the “city within the city”. Girls go there to find a husband but also to make contact with a nice tourist from Poland. The faithful come to the Khomeini mosque, which leads to many labyrinths full of goods. Those who don’t have money come to the bazaar to take out a loan from sellers at a lower rate than in a bank. This is not a joke, because especially in the past it was the bazaaris who gave loans for houses, cars and also for weddings.
Bazaars have also grown into political purposes and are a symbol of Persian culture. Before the revolution some bazaaris financed the Islamic revolution and they were in the center of social and financial life. The nation’s dissatisfaction with the government is always felt first in the bazaar. While in the bazaars I saw many interesting shops and sellers of things that I didn’t know could be sold. I drank tea, ate a kebab, and a man named Jaffar (named after the villain from Aladdin) helped me haggle a price for a carpet. However, you have to know where to sit because once in Yazd I sat down next to a copper pottery workshop and was unable to stand the constant hammering of the metal. The first bazaar complexes in Iran were built as early as the 4th century BC.
It is also worth mentioning the culture of carpet making. I call this work a separate culture because in Iran traditional Persian carpets are of great importance. Each bazaar has a section dedicated only to carpets and they are either machine-made (cheaper) or handmade. My favourite rugs were the kilim type, made of sheep and camel wool by Iranian nomads. In addition, each region of Iran and even each city has its own characteristic patterns that it adheres to, so a specialist can immediately tell what quality it is and whether it comes from Tabriz, Esfahan or Mashhad.
The art of Persian rugs is recognized all over the world, which is not surprising that Iran produces more rugs than all other countries combined. For example, I was in the carpet museum in Tehran and I think it is the best place to see every possible pattern from all over Persia. Persian rugs are not only about colourful patterns. They also present landscapes, paintings, family trees and the history of Islam presented in paintings. I saw rugs with views of beautiful women and the last supper. The choice here is huge, so when it comes to bazaars and rugs I think it’s a place to which every traveller would return.
Persian cuisine
Iran also has its own traditional cuisine, and dishes which are deeply rooted in Persian culture. The basis is thin bread in many forms or rice, which according to folk beliefs is a way of getting closer to God. I agree to some extent because rice with butter and Persian delicacies really tastes divine. In addition, there are various meats in the form of kebabs; usually beef, poultry or lamb. Persian food is therefore healthy because the rice is boiled and the meat is grilled. Vegetables are also grilled; usually tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms. Fish is also popular but in the cities few restaurants serve it, except in Bandar Abbas and along the Persian Gulf.
Iran also has popular sweets such as bakhlava, but it is worth mentioning that all of them are based on milk, honey, nuts, almonds, egg yolks, various cereals and lemon juice. The main drinks are yogurt and black, green and flower tea. Unfortunately, today fast food restaurants have become very popular in Iran, which are disgusting, but Iranians like them because they are tired of traditional food and probably like this poison. Tea houses (chaikhanas) are also popular, where tea is served in small kettles with sugar and sweets, although traditional meals are sometimes served in the same places. I have also observed a similar custom in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The most memorable thing for me was the historic bathhouse of one of the sultans in the city of Kerman, which was converted into a chaikhana. I lay down there on a wooden bed, leaned on pillows and a band played traditional songs. Former traditional Persian bathhouses usually serve as museums, but more and more often they are converted into traditional Persian restaurants and tea houses. Anyone who goes to Yazd, Esfahan, Shiraz, Kashan or Kerman would definitely be able to have this experience.
Canyon on Qeshm Island. Iran.
Persian gardens
Gardens are also an important part of Persian culture and are meant to reflect paradise on earth. Persian gardens usually consist of a fountain with a small body of water; or a long, sometimes rising water feature and plants around it. Persian gardens can be seen all over Iran, but if some travellers are interested primarily in gardens, then I recommend Shiraz, which is informally called the ‘city of Persian gardens’. You should definitely see the Eram garden, Hafez and Narenjestan, although there is also an orange tree garden in the Arg, behind the old city walls.
In Shiraz I saw citrus trees and red flowers in every garden, while all around there was traditional Persian architecture with arches, mirror mosaics and frescoes on selected parts of the walls. In Kashan I recommend Fin garden, behind a high desert-coloured wall; while the garden area has trees, Persian arches, frescoes and a long body of water. In the desert city of Yazd I went to the Dowlat Abad garden, which in addition to the standard elements also has wind catchers typical of Yazd. These are towers built so that in the hot desert climate the towers catch the wind and cool the apartments.
There are green areas and parks in Tehran too, but in my opinion the gardens in the capital of Iran are not as spectacular and ancient as the ones I mentioned above. While in Tehran I went to Laleh Park, near the Persian Carpet Museum, and I recommend this one.
Persian architecture
Another important and extremely broad topic is about Persian architecture, which through its art was meant to symbolize bringing man closer to heaven. I divide Persian architecture into mosques, gardens, bazaars, pavilions, baths, tea houses, mausoleums, wind catchers, citadels in the desert, ancient cultural villages and ice houses. I know it’s a lot, but when travelling through Iran and having a good sightseeing plan, everyone will definitely see what they need to.
In order to better understand Persian monuments and cultural customs in Iran, I suggest reading the section above: “Tourist attractions of Iran”. The articles: “Characteristic features of Iran” and “The “Axis of Evil” travel guide would also explain a lot. I refer to Persian monuments and architecture in most of my articles.
Iranian cinema, music and literature
Iran also has its own cinema, music, literature and art which in the past depicted for example women playing instruments or feeding men grapes. An appropriate example here is “The Tale of the Thousand and One Nights” and numerous paintings and frescoes based on pre-Islamic times. When I mean art, I mean not only paintings in numerous galleries but also frescoes on the walls of gardens, baths and palaces. I also advise looking up so as not to miss anything.
However, after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, art took on a different character. I often sat in Iranian bars to see what Iranian TV series are like. Women always have their heads covered or are completely wrapped in black sheets, and often three generations live together. This is the image of Iran promoted by the government, even though maybe 20% of Iran looks like the TV series. Young people are interested in Western cultural influences, and most young women do not want to cover their heads. For this reason, there were demonstrations and fatalities.
In Iran I saw shops selling musical instruments, bands singing Persian songs in baths converted into restaurants, and above all I also talked to young Persians who liked Western music. Therefore cinema, music and literature in Iran are a matter of taste. Some only like the ones related to Islam, while others need something more. After the Islamic Revolution, Western music was banned, and to this day women in Iran are not allowed to sing in public.
Persia also has rich poetry, and poets worth mentioning are Hafez, Ferdowsi and Rudaki, who is also popular in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Many squares, parks, gardens and metro stations are named after Ferdowsi and Hafez, and poetry is also found on the Iranian rial and some carpets. So these are not just verses from the Koran, as someone who tends to generalize the Islamic world might think about Iran.
“Gate of All Nations”. Persepolis. Iran.
Women in Iran
Women also play a big role in Iran, and this is a subject that changed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Before the Islamic revolution women in Iran did not go covered. They dressed in European style and wore swimsuits on the beach. When Ayatollah Khomeini came to power and ordered all women to wear niqab (a black sheet covering the entire body), women protested in large numbers against the Islamic law. Today, some women wrap themselves in this way and others dress modestly but without hijab, only wearing a headscarf that almost reveals the entire head.
There is a lot to be said about the differences in women’s lives before and after the revolution, but in my opinion, under the Shah women had more freedom. The Shah also introduced many new rights, such as the right to divorce and custody of children, inheritance, family planning, the age of marriage from 18, and the right to vote. All of these rights exist in Iran to this day, but in general in Iran it is better to be born a man. For example Shah banned hijab, but some women wanted to show their support for Khomeini and wore it anyway. After the revolution hijab became mandatory in public places such as universities. There are also separate metro cars just for women. (By the way, due to mass immigration to Europe from Africa, India and Arab countries, such a solution is already needed, and not because of Islam but for security reasons. )
However, Iran is not an Islamic republic that has completely lost its mind in the name of religion. Women can vote and drive cars, they have high academic and international sports results, but unfortunately even those who don’t want to have to cover up, still have to. In Iran there is a religious police that on the orders of the spiritual leader Khomeini punishes women for careless dressing. A few years ago in Tehran hundreds of women were arrested for carelessly wearing the hijab and chador, which means rolled up sleeves and a headscarf that deliberately “slips down” behind ears. I personally call such women “gummy bears” because with their fringe sticking out from under their headscarves and their big smiles at me, and their hatred of the ogres in the form of the religious police, they look just like gummy bears.
In theory, such women can get up to 70 lashes and go to prison for 2 months. When I hugged young Iranian women for photos in the park, someone made a fuss about it. Another time, young women were followed by the moral police, and when they saw me, one of them started pretending to be my wife. We hugged for a photo and the police went the other way. I have a few stories of this kind, but generally I don’t think that women in Iran are free. In 2013, when I was in Iran for the first time, Islamic law towards women was harsher than in 2025, when I was there recently.
Threats to Persian and European culture
In general, I find Persian culture very interesting, rich and worth knowing. I’ve noticed however that that it is a culture that suffers in a similar way to the traditional culture of European countries. I refer to excessive immigration from other countries, the fact that almost half of the Iranian population speaks Persian as a second language, and the fact that the conservative Muslim regime contributes to the marginalization of traditional Persian culture in the name of Islam.
In comparison, in Western Europe this situation is much more serious, as ultra-liberal regimes import millions of culturally and racially alien criminals, and through race mixing and accepting homosexuality as something normal, they kill the white race and Christian values cultivated for thousands of years. I believe that for the survival of a culture, regardless of whether it is Poland or Persia, racial and cultural purity are necessary, as well as the fight against political correctness and ultra-liberalism.
The flower of Persian beauty.
The regime in Iran claims that Iranian culture is only Islam, while the regime in Europe claims that Western culture is only about multi-‘culturalism’, and there is nothing else. Are these two regimes not worth each other to some extent? I believe that the regime in Europe based on liberalism is much worse because it poses an existential threat to Europe. The regime in Iran is tough on the Persians but it does not pose an existential threat.
Freedom of speech in Iran
Let me start by saying that while I give an honest account of press freedom in Iran, I do not support the regimes of the European Union or the United States. I also have a cold opinion of the regimes in the so-called ‘democratic countries’. It is worth knowing what freedom of the press looks like in Iran, but it is also worth considering whether we in Europe are free, because I think that we are definitely not.
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Iran could be compared to a maximum security prison. Before I go into details I want to say that on the press freedom list out of 180 countries and territories, Iran ranks 176th, which is only 1 position higher than North Korea. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Iran do not exist. If someone wants to go to Iran to see old cities, nice landscapes or to buy a carpet, that’s fine – but it is better to not say too much.
Every hotel in Iran is required to notify the police that a foreigner is staying with them. Everyone was nice to my face, but I was interrogated in hotels by very curious receptionists. One young woman asked me very seriously if I was a spy, and another receptionist said that I was the ‘chosen one’. In another hotel they wanted to see ‘my second passport’ and said that I had a British accent. When I wanted to see a Persian garden in Shiraz, someone said that I didn’t have to because I had Kew Gardens in London. I had heard about my British accent at the border, and they asked me if my parents were Polish. The moment you go to Iran, they already know you because they do a research on you, and they got to know me very well in Iran, and then they got to know me even better when I had my police questioning. A hotel employee personally took me to the bus station and asked if I was really going where I said I was going. They found something very suspicious about me, or maybe just because of the hate campaign against Iran they are obsessed. (But why should I be surprised about the Iranians, if the police in England had previously picked me up at the airport for questioning too. In my experience, the regime in Iran treated me much better than the regime in England.)
Iran has a president, who I think only has a subordinate role because the real power is held by the highest Islamic cleric, who has the final say. All TV and radio stations and publishing houses are controlled, although it would be better to say they are controlled by Islamic clerics. Inconvenient writers, politicians, activists and singers are regularly imprisoned or killed by the Islamic regime in many ways. These are most often gunshots, stabbings, various accidents and potassium injections to induce heart attacks. Entire families are killed in this way and Iran still denies it and denies that it has political prisoners. Being a journalist in Iran who has a different opinion to the regime is a matter of life or death, or at least a terrible prison. (By the way, the Zionist regime in Israel treats Palestinians much worse, but they have the support of the global media and that’s why they look better.)
(The sad thing is that the so-called ‘democratic countries fighting for human rights’ like England, Sweden and Germany are heading the same direction; while simultaneously pointing fingers at Iran and Russia. The whole European Union is a new corrupt Soviet Union. In the UK MI6 is obsessed with ‘Russian spies’ and every once in a while one ends up in hospital due to an accident and dies there. The regime in the UK also persecutes and imprisons English people who have different views than the Jewish-controlled liberal regime. I don’t know how on earth Britain is 23rd on the Reporters Without Borders list???)
Square in Kashan. In the back are portraits of two imams: Ayatollah Khomeini and Khamenei.
In a way, it was funny to me that foreign websites are blocked in Iran, even though over 79% of Iranians use internet. For example, the US government gives soul lifting speeches about ‘freedom and democracy’, even though it itself tracks its own citizens just like Iran or Russia. The difference is that in Iran the government doesn’t even bother to lie anymore. It just officially puts a gag on people’s faces. The height of hypocrisy is that Iranian leader Ali Khamenei himself uses an X account, but has banned Iranians from using social media, YouTube and many others. Using a VPN in Iran is illegal, unless with special permission. Yet, millions of Iranians use Instagram, X, Facebook, Telegram, WhatsApp and many other channels with VPNs. Despite internal sanctions 47 million Iranians use Instagram and 49 million use Telegram. My site doesn’t work in Iran without a filter either.
Calling abroad in Iran is impossible because the regime blocks the phone. At the airport you have to register a foreign phone for a lot of money, so I gave up. For the first month only text messages worked, and then my phone didn’t work at all. Even local Iran cell cards only worked for 2 weeks because they weren’t registered.
Generally, the work of a freelance TV editor or journalist involves the loss of life or health. As for my personal observations I have many, because I saw them every day in Iran. You don’t need to do special research or be in politics or the media to quickly realize that the Iranian government wants to control everything, including the clothing and private lives of its citizens. In Iran there is a dress code for women according to conservative Islamic principles, which is why there is a specially established religious/moral police, whose job is to make sure that women adhere to these standards. Supposedly in 2025 it was better than in 2013, when I was in Iran previously, but I see that women still instinctively cover up when going out. They are afraid.
Many women don’t agree with Islamic law and therefore roll up their tops to their elbows and pull their headscarves back, while looking at the police and testing how far they can go. Many women, but also men openly told me about their great aversion to Islam and that covering women that way looked stupid. Once on the street in Iran young girls helped me find an address and also wanted to practice their English, but when the police saw us together they looked at them in a cold manner and the girls ran away. Young Iranians told me that they would like to be free, but unfortunately in Iran the government controls people to such an extent that you can’t even drink alcohol, you can’t dance and there are no discos. I also know of an example when a tourist from Poland met a nice Iranian woman and she wanted to spend the night with him, but no hotel would give them a room because they were not married. The solution in this case is therefore a temporary marriage or a house of that woman, provided that she lives alone; which is rare in Iran.
Iranians however try to have as much freedom as they can. They go to Armenia where they drink and dance, and then return to Iran hungover. When I saw Iranian women at the airport in Constantinople (Istanbul), they first took table cloths off their heads and then put on make-up. So, it is an endless game between the people of Iran and their government, what doesn’t mean that everyone is against it. I met many people who accepted this system, and the government is doing a lot to Islamize children from an early age, so that later on it would have more support in a democratic way. (In England there are also English people who agree with multi-culti or rather have accepted their fate, and others fight as they can. In every country I see a constant struggle in many ways between the people and the ruling class.)
Expedition to Damavand.
Environmental issues
Iran has many environmental problems, and the worst are in large cities such as Tehran, which is on the list of the most polluted cities in the world. Every year thousands of Iranians lie in hospitals due to air pollution. The Iranian government promised to scrap old cars and dirty fuel, but unfortunately these are just promises. Iranians are still suffocating from exhaust fumes, and in cities with heavy industry it is even worse. In Tehran, Shiraz, Yazd, in small Shushtar and many other cities I saw cars that were maybe 50 years old. Popular in Iran are the iconic old Peugeot 405 or blue Mazdas, which pollute the environment. Buses in Tehran and Shiraz have exhaust pipes from which emerge black clouds of smoke. When it is rush hour in Iranian cities, when there is traffic and it is very loud, it’s better to not to leave the house. Air pollution and noise are unbearable. It’s not as bad as in India, that the air over Delhi is red like on Mars, but Iran is heading that direction.
While in small villages in the desert I met Iranians who fled Tehran to the desert because it’s nicer and they’re healthier. I think Iran should carry out an Ecological Revolution as soon as possible. I would start by scrapping old cars and replacing all combustion city buses with electric ones.
Air pollution is a subject that the regime prefers not to discuss, and Iranian environmental protection experts are afraid to tell the truth. In my opinion Iranians will die sooner from environmental pollution than from bombings carried out by Israel. A lung disease specialist said that Iran has a much higher incidence of respiratory diseases and chronic lung diseases. There are also more cases of bronchitis, allergic reactions and cardiovascular complications, associated with long-term exposure to polluted air. Some parents are afraid to send their children to school and they keep their windows closed all day. When I was in Iran many people wore face masks, not because of Covid but because of air pollution. I did too.
I think the opinion of the Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi is valuable here. According to him air pollution kills over 50,000 Iranians every year. In addition, 15% of deaths among children under the age of five are attributed to air pollution.
Due to lack of investment in modernizing the industry and because of sanctions, Iran continues to burn mazut. Mazut is a low-quality heavy fuel oil that emits toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide, hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5, and black carbon. It is still used in countries which don’t have the capacity to refine it into lighter fuels such as diesel. According to health experts, burning mazut and other heavy oils can contribute to serious illnesses and premature death. But it doesn’t end there, as according to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, methane emissions from oil and gas activities, waste management, and agriculture also contribute to Iran’s toxic air.
For example, the undisputed ‘winner’ in the competition for one of the world’s most polluted cities is Ahvaz, in western Iran. Ahvaz is burdened with oil production and heavy industry and the air there really is like on Mars, what means that cars have very limited visibility. Ahvaz is 100 km from the Iraqi border and relatively close to the Saudi desert, and in the Khuzestan province there is the third largest oil field in the world, where most Sunni Muslims and Arab minorities live. For the government in Tehran, Ahvaz is only a source of income because of the industry, but I doubt that Ahvaz is their target for investment in people’s health. In 2011 the World Health Organization chose Ahvaz as the most polluted city in the world, and in addition to that it was also the hottest one for many years. The city exceeds the national average of Iran in terms of premature death and heart disease. Ahvaz is therefore not a pleasant tourist destination.
Inside the Rudkhan Fortress, near Rasht. To get there I had to walk 3km uphill through the jungle.
Other pollution is related to overgrazing of cattle, and the country turning into a desert without a single tree. When traveling through Iran it was easy to see that Iran is largely covered by hot deserts, and greenery is only found in the north by the Caspian Sea. In addition there is pollution related to industry, its regular sewage discharged into the rivers, and as a result of oil extraction. This has caused the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf to be polluted with oil, chemical waste and plastics. Especially in Iran, where a large part of the economy is based on oil extraction, marine life has suffered greatly. (By the way, when I swam in the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, I felt first-hand what oil pollution is like. When I entered the sea in Baku, I could smell the oil. It is very unpleasant.)
It has been calculated that only due to environmental pollution the Iranian government spends $3 billion per year on medical treatment. In turn, the World Bank has estimated that only deaths and illnesses caused by air pollution cost Iran $2.6 billion per year. However, according to the Financial Tribune, total air pollution costs Iran about $20 billion per year, and I suspect that this is an optimistic estimate since the study was published in 2017. This means that pollution costs Iran about 4-5% of GDP every year. I think the wise solution would be to spend the $20 billion a year on protecting the environment, rather than repairing the damages that had been done.
There are many agreements signed in Iran to combat environmental pollution, which don’t end in success. For example Iran produces a huge amount of waste every year, of which only 10%-17% is recycled. For example in the UK about 44% of household waste is recycled. In Poland it is about 39%, and the average in the European Union is 48%. What really disgusted me in Iran was the littering of the streets. I went for a walk in Tajrish and then went to the mountains in Darband, along the river. Very nice place but unfortunately the mountain river has been turned into a garbage dump. It was a very unpleasant experience, even though Darband is a good place in Tehran to relax from the big city. During my trip in Iran, rubbish followed me wherever I went.
Unfortunately Iran is home to around 130–150 species of endangered animals, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds. I think the regime in Iran should be most concerned about the future of the Asiatic cheetah, which is particularly endangered. Once upon a time Iran also had Asiatic lions, which were even considered Iran’s national animal. The Caspian tiger suffered the same tragic fate. These big cats were common in Iran, but unfortunately these two species became extinct in the 20th century. Furthermore, given oil extraction and coastal degradation, sea turtles are next in line for extinction. There are still five species of sea turtles in the Persian Gulf, but I don’t know for how long? I suggest you ask at the Iranian consulate, but I presume they don’t know neither.
The real history of Iran in its most interesting moments
Ancient Persia
Iran’s history is very long and stormy. It is a story of many fights between different empires and it’s an interesting adventure which could not be ignored by such rich in history countries like China or India. Because of constant invasions of different cultures it is a story of changing dynasties, philosophies, cultures, arts, architectures and poetry. Iran is one of the oldest countries in the world and that is why its history is so extensive that it can’t be told just in a few sentences.
Persia is surrounded by seas and mountains and it has strategically a very important position; it was always a target of attacks and it always conquered others. During its long history Persia among many other invaders was conquered and ruled by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, by Arabs in the seventh century, by Turks in the tenth century, and by the Mongols in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Finally the Persian Empire (Achaemenid Empire 550 -330 BC) cam to power, which scope covered the whole of Asia Minor as far as to the Balkans, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, part of Egypt, south Caucasus, part of Central Asia, Afghanistan, part of Pakistan, and the whole territory of current Iran. It was a very vast and powerful empire which in the west was bordered by Greece and in the east by India, which was partially within the Persian Empire but tried to protect itself from further expansion. The most powerful rulers were Darius I and his son Xerxes, who built the famous Persepolis. After death of Xerxes the empire began to weaken and Darius III was the last ruler whose empire was conquered by Alexander the Great.
Persian kilim carpets in Abyaneh village. Iran.
It is also important to remind about two cultural aspects of Iranian history. Currently many Iranians do not agree with Islam because they are tired of the regime but when Arabs conquered Persia in the seventh century Persians were not forced to adopt the religion. What’s more they adopted the teachings of Islam voluntarily and with great enjoyment because it seemed to them more attractive than Zoroastrianism which prevailed for centuries. Another important event is the work of a poet Ferdowsi called “The Book of Kings”, which he wrote between 1990 and 1020 and which is considered the basis of the Persian language (Farsi).
History of the XX century
The twentieth century is precisely that period in Iranian history which interests me the most, because it gives answers to such questions such as: what role did America, England and Russia played in Iranian history? Why Shah came to power or rather who helped him to achieve it and why, why Iranians willingly chose a Muslim government, which then turned into another regime. Who dip his fingers in the war between Iraq and Iran and why did it brake out.
My story begins in the nineteenth century when Iran was ruled by the Qajar dynasty of Turkmen origin which incompetent and weak rulers lost the territories in their sphere of influence to Russia and to Great Britain. It was a time when one of the Shahs sold national wealth one after another just to satisfy his private desires such as art collections and building lavish palaces. Persian banks, railways and many other goods were sold for pennies to England.
In the beginning of the twentieth century the economic situation was so bad that in different parts of the country uprisings started breaking out and Shah was not able to respond. At the time Russia urged the Shah to break his word given to the British what only resulted in even more uprisings, Shah’s brutal dictatorship and split of the parliament and finally abdication of the Shah. As a result during World War I Russia controlled northern Iran and the United Kingdom southern Iran; and additionally Turks murdered Christians in the north-west.
Benefiting on chaos, Iran’s Gilan province broke away. Even Ahmad Shah was unable to respond, that’s why Britain installed a stronger officer called Reza Khan, who managed to take Gilan back. This means that in 1921 Reza Khan organized a coup and got rid of the last Shah of the Qajar dynasty. Reza Khan who was the first of the Pahlavi dynasty is today regarded as a puppet of the United Kingdom who was nevertheless a brave soldier and had ambitious plans to modernize Iran. Reza Khan took Ataturk for his role model and just as him he demanded western-style clothing, introduction of Western culture and destruction of Muslim clerics.
However not everyone agreed with the Shah’s “modern” politics and a lot of women despite clear prohibitions of wearing a hijab still dressed in a traditional Muslim way, to show their support for the Muslim clerics. In the times of World War II Reza Khan spoke openly about his support for the Nazis what the British and the Russians could not bear, and that’s why in 1941 he had to leave Iran. Then the United Kingdom put his son in his place; a young 22 -year-old Mohamad Reza, who had absolute power over Iran, but after all he was still under strong influence of the British.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s an important situation took place which in my opinion has a close relationship with the current “Axis of Evil”. Translating it from the language of the naive into the language not paralyzed by Zionism “the axis of evil” means “we want your oil and we want it for free”. This meant that the new wealth which was oil was in the hands of the British and the Shah was still covering giving out Iran’s riches behind emancipation of women, what was happening simply too fast. In 1951 a nationalist came to power who promised to take the British away from the trough and put an end of controlling Iran by the colonial powers, but two years later he was removed by the British and Americans. Then oil was de-nationalized again, and because of Churchill’s boycott and his partnership with Eisenhower America earned a fortune on oil which was not even theirs. At the same time America still continued to urge its Shah to introduce reforms leading to de-Islamization of Iran, what was nicely called the “White Revolution”.
Dom lodowy. Meybod, Iran.
Ayatollah Khomeini, who became the leader of the opposition to the Shah, did not agree with the treacherous policy and control of Iran by a foreign country. In 1964 the Shah even issued a law stating that American soldiers in Iran could not be arrested under any circumstances, to which Khomeini replied that: “if Americans run over a dog in America, they will be brought to justice, but if Americans run over an Iranian, they are automatically innocent.” Khomeini was deported and the Shah, at the behest of the Americans organized an expensive party in Persepolis to honor of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, which made him look like a money waster in the eyes of the nation.
In 1974 the price per barrel of oil jumped dramatically but thanks to Americans that money was wasted. Then the price of oil fell dramatically and the world fell into recession, reforms had to be cancelled and Iranians were very unhappy. In such conditions the Pahlavi dynasty earned more enemies. Clerics wanted to reverse the reforms, students wanted the reforms to be introduced faster, although everyone regardless of opinions in some way attacked the Shah. As a result of that from time to time uprisings were braking out and the Shah was forced to deal with his people in a brutal way what only heated up the situation. I was personally in the Ebrat Museum in Tehran which was once a prison for Shah’s political enemies. Shah’s servants used various tortures techniques including burning people, starvation and hammering nails into their fingers. According to what I saw at the Ebrat Museum, the Iranians were horribly tortured by Mossad agents, who came from Israel with the Shah’s consent. One of the prisoners was Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but let’s not expect to hear about it from the Jewish BBC.
On the 16 January 1979 the Shah and his family left Iran and Ayatollah Khomeini returned from France and became the Supreme Leader. The opposition was soon murdered and Khomeini created a country in which power was in the hands of Muslim clerics, no matter who would become the president or the prime minister. In March 1979 a referendum was held in which Iranian people voted for the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran by giving it a 98% support. Then in November 1979 there was an attack on the U.S. embassy after the ultra-conservative students held 52 employees hostage for 444 days. It was an action to which Khomeini gave his Muslim support, and to make the things look more democratic the Supreme Leader put into the positions of the president and the prime minister his conservative Shia friends. An important politician at that time was also Ayatollah Teleqani, whose ideas were much less ultra-Islamist, and I think if he had come to power at that time, Iran could have benefited from that. However, Khomeini came to power, he overthrew the Shah and introduced a new regime that lasts to this day.
One may disagree with Khomeini and his regime, but in my opinion Khomeini came to power mainly because the US and the Zionist regime in Israel brought the Iranians to the brink of endurance. The global Jews provoked the Islamic Revolution, just as they provoked the Bolshevik Revolution, two world wars, communism in Europe, the occupation of Palestine and many other wars. At the time Khomeini was the only option to overthrow that horrible regime, and that Khomeini replaced it with another regime is a different matter. The same scenario is being repeated in the Middle East, that the US and Israel overthrow democratically elected governments that are not Islamic, and replace them with Islamist regimes. In such circumstances it is easier to convince the dumb nations that the US is going to another war for ‘democracy’… and oil.
Iran-Iraq War (1980-88)
The next stage in the Iranian history was the war with Iraq. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was building a strong army which at that time was much stronger than the army of Iran. Saddam Hussein had also his vision about the region and he dreamt about domination over all neighbouring countries. He saw for example an oil rich Iranian province of Khuzestan as historically Iraqi, and later he also saw oil-rich Kuwait as part of Iraq.
The US, UK and Arab states united in their hatred of Iran. Zionists and Arabs could never stand an independent Iran. Saddam Hussein fell to them from the sky because they didn’t have to make their own hands dirty.
Iran however had Muslim fanaticism on its side which was further fuelled by the Muslim clerics, and it had greater population because Khomeini banned contraception. Apart from that Iran also had better fighting spirit than Iraq too. The war with Iraq was bloody and merciless. During the eight years half a million people on each side were killed, and in addition both countries were devastated. About 90 towns and 3000 villages were bombed by Iraq, and when I travelled around Iran I saw lots pictures of the killed soldiers in the Iranian cities. I recommend the Islamic Revolution Museum in Tehran, where the history of the Iran-Iraq War is told from the Iranian perspective.
The war was also a very good time for Khomeini because he could once and for all get rid of political opponents what usually took place in mysterious bombings. It is also worth mentioning that bomb blowing specialty has become the permanent ritual in the Muslim culture. American also played an important role in the war because they supplied Iraq with both conventional and chemical weapons. It has been calculated that only by using chemical weapons which Iraq got from America Saddam killed about 20,000 Iranians. The best part of this story is that the war earned a lot of money to many European countries and China, Russia, and probably everyone except the Pope. America also sold weapons to Iran, and almost every country sold weapons to both sides.
The Arab countries in the Persian Gulf helped Saddam a lot, hoping that he would destroy Shiite Iran with their money. According to many Western sources and sources I saw in a museum in Iran, the main financial backers of Iraq were the oil-rich countries of the Persian Gulf, primarily Saudi Arabia ($30.9 billion), Kuwait ($8.2 billion) and the United Arab Emirates ($8 billion). The US and Russia also helped Iraq, but they didn’t do it officially, like the Arab countries. Iran was practically alone in this war, but still won, paying a very high price.
Also interesting was Operation ‘Opera’, during which Israel bombed a nuclear reactor in Iraq, and also sold weapons to Iran, in the hope that Iran would bleed out more by fighting longer. Terrible!
Khaju bridge. Isfahan.
From the war to modern times
After Khomeini’s death in 1989, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took over as supreme leader of Iran. The social and religious mood remained the same but it was also a time of rebuilding the country after a devastating war, and a time of reforms. Among other things contraceptives were introduced, as the population had grown to a frightening size; and also construction of roads, electricity and water connections. An important name here was President Ayatollah Khatami, who was a great reformist, he improved the economy and quality of life in Iran; and very importantly he reformed social life. Women no longer had to dress in the ultra-Islamic way, they started wearing makeup, they dyed their hair and sometimes hugged their boyfriends in the streets. After his first term, in 2001, Khatami was re-elected with 78% support, but he couldn’t do anything because he was held back by Islamic clerics to such an extent, that the president didn’t have any power anymore.
In 2005 won Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a sharp-tongued populist who promised to put oil money on Iranian tables and who started a nuclear program. Of course, the US for propaganda purposes understood this only in such a way that Iran was building an atomic bomb to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. Iran became increasingly unpopular in the Western (Jewish) media and economic sanctions followed, which seriously undermined living standards in Iran. Ahmadinejad spoke very openly about Israel and America, and his comments became a favourite topic of anti-Iranian propaganda in the Western media. (Neutral media in the West even stated that in the US they interpret President Ahmadinejad’s words as it suits them.)
(As for Iran’s nuclear program I consider it an ‘Iranian life insurance policy’, a psychological weapon to ensure Iran’s security. Iran has seen wars in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and is constantly hearing threats from the US and Israel. Iran must defend itself, especially since threats and sanctions are endless. How is it that those who talk about “freedom, peace and democracy” have the most blood on their hands??)
In 2009 Ahmadinejad won by a margin, what led to riots in major cities. The West once again had reason to say that it was a problem with Islamic fanaticism, what in this case was a lie, but the uneducated societies of the US and England fell for it without a problem. Then President Rouhani came to power, who was more cautious in his statements than Ahmadinejad, and who tried to reach an agreement with the US on the nuclear program, in order to improve the Iranian economy. However, the notorious terrorist, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a wolf in sheep’s clothing, so the situation was still tense. (From my experience, if Jews say that someone is bad, then he is probably good.)
The next president was the Islamic cleric Ebrahim Raisi. Unfortunately on the 19th of May 2024 president Raisi died in a helicopter crash. The official cause of the accident was bad weather and a technical failure. I don’t know what the truth is but when a president dies it always looks like more than just an accident. Raisi was nominated for the position of president by the supreme leader of Iran. He continued the nuclear program and was described as a tough player in foreign and domestic policy. He didn’t spare cold words for Israel and the US, and established closer relations with Russia and China.
After Raisi’s death, in July 2024, Masoud Pezeshkian won the election. This president is considered a reformist, he talks about repairing relations with the West, and is not a Shiite cleric.
General Qassem Soleimani is now a national hero. He was assassinated by the US in Iraq.
(Watching politics, I see that President Pezeshkian’s good intentions mean nothing to the US and Israel. Israel sincerely hates Iran and constantly encourages the US to go to war. Presidents change, Islam in Iran is sometimes more extreme and sometimes milder, but the sanctions and war rhetoric of the US and Israel against Iran never change. Iran fights bravely for its survival and its honour, and when I travelled around Iran I saw that despite the hostility of the world’s greatest power, it has many successes. I also wonder if Iran would be included in the ‘Axis of Evil’ if instead of oil and gas it had only dates and camels?)
Important events in Iran’s recent history:
- On the 3rd of January 2020, in Karbala, Iraq, a US drone assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. General Soleimani was one of the most important people in the country and in the opinion of many, the second most important person after the Supreme Leader of Iran. In my opinion, this was a terrorist attack organized by the US, the aim of which was to weaken Iran’s influence in the region.
- A shocking terrorist attack was the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, with a remote-controlled weapon, in November 2020 on the outskirts of Tehran. Fakhrizadeh was a leading Iranian scientist in the field of nuclear energy. According to Iranian, British and Israeli sources the Iranian scientist was assassinated by Mossad. While in Tehran I saw the displayed cars in which Fakhrizadeh and other scientists were killed, with the inscription: ‘For what sins?’ The aim of this attack was of course to delay Iran’s nuclear program.
As we can see the US and Israel are waging a fierce war against Iran in every possible way. Iran is surrounded, separated, destroyed and terrorized. I think it is in the interest of world peace that Iran has a strong army and atomic bombs, because another war of global Jews, this time with Iran, could turn into World War III. Since the beginning of its existence Israel has destroyed all its neighbouring countries. People no longer remember that for example Beiruth was once called the “Paris of the Middle East”.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
In this very short chapter I would like to express my personal opinion about Khomeini. I will start by saying that Khomeini was an Iranian revolutionary, politician and Shia religious leader. Khomeini served as the first supreme leader of Iran from the Islamic Revolution in 1979 until his death in 1989.
Ayatollah Khomeini during the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
I agree that Khomeini overthrew Shah Pahlavi who came to power thanks to the Americans. Pahlavi was a client of the US and Great Britain, he faithfully carried out US orders, and he sold out national assets. For that reason I’m not surprised that Iranians were sick of him, because during his rule they felt like second-class citizens in their own country. In such a situation the nation always needs a strong and decisive leader, which Khomeini really was. I think that after some time Iranians have understood that Ayatollah Khomeini didn’t make the people of Iran free. He just brought about a regime change that has lasted to this day.
The changes that Khomeini introduced were very different from the Shah’s policies, but they are based on theocracy and in his case on religious fanaticism. The Shah made Iran a colony of the US and the UK, while Khomeini took the Iranians back in time by introducing ultra-Islamic laws into traditional Persian culture. Unfortunately the Shah was already so unpopular, and Iranians were so desperate for a change, that Khomeini was their only option.
During the Iran-Iraq war Saddam Hussein placed anti-personnel mines in front of Iranian soldiers. In response Khomeini sent Iranian children to minefields because, as he said: “if they clear the minefields and die, they will go straight to heaven.” Why didn’t Khomeini run through the minefields to meet Allah sooner? Unfortunately, there is a dark chapter in Khomeini’s rule, which has been confirmed not only by the often subjective Western media, but also by adult “child soldiers” who live outside Iran.
Khomeini also made it possible for girls as young as 9 to be married off. This dirty practice is still in force in Iran, but from the age of 13 for girls and from the age of 15 for boys; unless the court decides otherwise. Khomeini himself, when he was 27, married a 15-year-old girl. To this day, in many Muslim countries adult men marry children. The prophet of Islam, Muhammad himself, took 6-year-old Aisha as his wife and consummated the marriage with her when she was 9.
I am against the ‘equality’ of women and men and don’t believe in it as contrary to nature. Here, I am therefore able to understand Khomeini. When I watch white women destroy white countries I see that Khomeini was right to limit their rights. Women will always be more liberal and due to their feminine nature they are not able to think as defenders, leaders or soldiers. In the case of women, this ‘humanitarian mentality’ turns into the cult of weakness that we see in the West. Khomeini limited women’s rights for the good of Iran. He abolished their right to vote, forbade them from holding public offices and ordered them to dress with dignity. Ayatollah Khomeini also had sensible views on the threat of homosexuality.
When it comes to dressing with dignity I don’t recommend Islamic style to European women, but I see the sense of Khomeini’s reforms, because today, in times of toxic liberalism white women allow themselves to be humiliated at their own choice. I also support Khomeini in that he forbade drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a poison that destroys entire nations through diseases and social pathology.
Ayatollah Khomeini with the Iranian flag in the background.
Today schools, roundabouts and streets in Iran are named after Khomeini, and he himself has risen to the status of an Imam, which is a saint in Shia Islam. When traveling around Iran I saw posters of him everywhere, with a gloomy look emerging from under his bushy eyebrows. For the West at that time Khomeini became a symbol of Islam in a bad sense, which was used by popular culture as a symbol of Muslim fanaticism. However, the US does not mention that if it had not interfered so aggressively in Iranian affairs, if it had not tried to control it, Khomeini would never have come to power. I think that it was only for political purposes that Khomeini became an Imam, or a saint in Shia Islam.
When I travelled in Iran I saw many posters of victims of the Iran-Iraq war, but I never saw posters of children with the inscription: “blown up on a mine on Khomeini’s orders.” I also didn’t see posters of 9-year-old girls with the inscription: “she died in childbirth according to the law of Khomeini”. The nonsense associated with the cult of Khomeini continues and it is so absurd that on the outskirts of Tehran they built a huge mosque in the form of a palace complex, where his coffin is located. I wish Iranians an awakening.
Personality cult around the world – and Khomeini
The same personality cult also exists in many other countries, which is why I decided to include this paragraph, so that people from ‘democratic’ countries don’t feel smarter than those from ‘Muslim’ countries.
The most relevant example here is the communist hooligan and terrorist Ernesto (Che) Guevara. Idiots in the West, resistant to education, wear T-shirts with his image because: ‘he looks nice on a T-shirt’, having no idea about his crimes.
In the US the Jewish media, in favour of their multi-culti and white guilt agenda, made a hero out of a black career criminal George Floyd. He even has his own monuments in the USA, and in England there were marches during which English morons ‘fought racism’.
Another example is the communist mass murderer Nelson Mandela, who has his own statues in London and who has become a role model at British universities. Mandela, before he went to hell, was also invited by the anti-white regime in London, as part of the war against whites, not only in South Africa but also in England. I think Mandela was so terrible that he continues to murder even after his death, and not only whites but also blacks. Despite this, the whole world must consider him a ‘hero’ because he overthrew apartheid, even though black people in South Africa lived in greater prosperity and security during apartheid.
There are still statues of Lenin all over Russia, even though he was a communist terrorist and war criminal, responsible for enormous poverty and at least 66 million victims. While on the subject of communism, in China the ‘hero’ is the communist mass murderer Mao Zedong, who is responsible for the deaths of around 40-80 million Chinese. There were victims of hunger, persecution, forced labour and mass executions – organized by those ‘communist fathers of the nations’.
But why should we look far from home for the guilty, when we can find mass murderers considered heroes in our own backyard. Winston Churchill – Zionist agent, terrorist, globalist, butcher of Palestine, Jewish butler, pathological liar, sent English soldiers to slaughter and bombed German cities when Hitler offered him peace several times. The British nation is so stupid that today even English patriots raised on Jewish lies consider him a hero. That obese traitor has his own monuments in England today, and uneducated English simpletons name pubs after him.
Was Khomeini that bad after all? I have no doubt that he was definitely much better than Churchill! Besides, when I look at Khomeini I feel that I would like to shake his hand, but when I look at Churchill I just want to throw up. Besides, Khomeini is a symbol of the fight against foreign occupation and he was an Iranian patriot. On the other hand, Churchill was not only disgusting, but in my opinion he is above all a symbol of the collective stupidity of English people.
In the traditional bazaar in Yazd. Behind me is the defender of Palestine Hassan Nasrallah; may he rest in peace. I highly recommend Iran.
Map
Location
Practical information
Tourist Visa: Iran’s visa laws have tightened since I was there the last time. For example, they stopped granting Iranian visas at land borders with Turkey. However, on a European passport you can still get a visa at the airport without having to go to the consulate. I’m going to describe step by step how to get an Iranian tourist visa as easily as possible. In my description I’m focusing on Europeans.
In order to get the visa I contacted a travel agency which sent me a form to fill out. I had to provide all the places I was going to, the dates and even the hotels I was staying at. I don’t think anyone took this seriously because it’s obvious that I couldn’t predict the future. However, to please the Persian bureaucracy I filled out the form and sent it back to the agency, along with a copy of my passport and a photo. The travel agency then sent my form to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can apply for a visa for one, two or three months, that’s why I advise to take into account that Iran is a large country with a lot to see. I got a visa for 2 months, as I wanted. The agency fee was $20, and I paid them in cash in Iran because I was unable to make a transfer due to sanctions. Agencies that I can recommend include www.uppersia.com and www.key2persia.com.
After a week the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a document to the travel agency with a promise to grant a visa with a code. It said that in order to obtain a visa I had to submit my passport at Khomeini Airport in Tehran by a certain date. From the time I received a visa grant with a code I had about 2 months to get to Iran.
Bad news started at the airport because the visa cost me as much as €75 and health insurance another €25. Visa prices and length of stay in Iran vary depending on nationality, but for European citizens the standard is €75 and a stay of up to 3 months.
Visa extensions are also not a problem for EU citizens. I easily extended my visa at the immigration police for 3 months. When I extended my visa for the fourth month, I had an interview at a police station and waited 5 days, but I got it. So theoretically a Polish citizen and a citizen of another European country can stay for a maximum of 3 months, but I could stay 4 months due to my circumstances. The visa extension costs around 50 pence.
Citizens of the US, Canada and the UK can only travel to Iran on organized tours. This list of undesirables has been enlarged, as it was previously limited to the US. I personally do not recommend this type of tour because on organized tours it is impossible to have a realistic travel experience. The governments of these three countries are very hostile towards Iran, so this decision does not surprise me. It’s a pity because Persia is a large and interesting country that requires time, and if the English or Americans could travel around Iran, they would probably like it too.
Citizens of Israel cannot go to Iran, and an Israeli stamp in other passports and any proof of residence in Israel is equivalent to a ban on entry to Iran. This decision does not surprise me either because Israel conducts war rhetoric towards Iran and organizes terrorist attacks against Iran. It is therefore hard to welcome such people on vacation.
Safety: Contrary to the hate propaganda directed by the Zionists, Iran is a very safe country for tourists. I spent almost 3.5 months in Iran and every time the Persians were as nice and helpful as their English allowed them to be. I consider Iranian people to be welcoming to tourists.
The regimes in the US and the UK tell horror stories about Iran but I advise the hypocritical Western countries to look in the mirror. The culturally and racially enriched countries of Europe are very dangerous today and it is there that you have to be especially careful. Iran is also very safe for white women, which cannot be said about England, Germany, Sweden and other liberal ‘paradise’ enriched by the global Jews. In England and Sweden there are districts run by African and Muslim gangs where murder, arson and rape are rampant – whereas in Iran I walked during a day and at night and it was always safe.
Of course political demonstrations are everywhere; and Iran, against which there is also a disinformation war is suspicious. However, please do not believe the horror stories coming from the Jewish propaganda mouthpieces in the US or UK. I have travelled to Iran twice for a long time over a period of 10 years, and it was always safe.
Expect Iran to be drawn into conflicts quite often. Israel, Iran and Hezbollah will fight short wars, which are usually limited to missile attacks. I flew to Iran at a difficult time. When Israel attacked the Gaza Strip, there were massive missile attacks, which is why Turkish Airlines cancelled all flights not only to Iran, but also to Iraq, Jordan and other Arab countries. At that time the Western media cancelled flights to Iran for many months and scared and still scare people not to go there because according to them there is a war in Iran. So I got to Iran on Iranian Airlines, my plane was not shot down as they warned me, and Iran was very safe.
Please be prepared that sometimes a trip to Iran begins much earlier, because first you have to mentally prepare yourself for all the threats and blood-chilling warnings coming from the democratic and liberal regimes. Despite all the dangers that I was supposed to encounter in Iran, I returned safely. After my return the media in the West continues to scare, so this doesn’t change. Iran is a safe country for tourists.
Moving around the country: Transport in Iran is very well organized.
There is a network of buses operating throughout the country, which are the main means of transport. I travelled by bus on longer distances and to all the main cities. The timetable is well thought out because for short distances buses leave during the day and early in the morning, and for long distances only at night. The buses are comfortable and clean and the roads are in good condition. However, buses have to drive slowly, so they are slower than shared taxis (savari). I must also admit that bus rides are well priced. On the popular tourist route Tehran-Qom-Kashan-Esfahan-Yazd-Shiraz it is definitely worth taking a bus. I also travelled by bus from Rasht to Tabriz and from Shiraz to Shushtar, and back to Tehran. Buses are therefore the most popular.
There are also trains in Iran, but the railway lines are limited. If your travel plan coincides with the Iranian railway, I think you should take the train at least once for the experience. Trains are a bit more expensive, but it’s worth it. They are clean, well-maintained and should be treated as a good travel experience. For long distances there are also sleeper trains. If someone has seen all the main attractions of Iran, I recommend taking the train from Tehran to the desert city of Kerman, passing through Kashan and Yazd on the way.
Shared taxis (savari) are also very popular. Shared taxis travel short distances and long distances as a competition for buses. I recommend using taxis for short distances. I travelled by shared taxis from Fuman to the Rudkhan fortress, from Tonekabon to Ramsar, or from Osku (Kandovan) to Tabriz. There are many options. At every bus station there are also many taxi drivers who shout that they are looking for passengers to cities located further away. Shared taxis as an alternative to buses are indeed faster and well priced but less comfortable, unless someone sits in the front seat. I prefer buses for long distances because they are more comfortable.
Another popular means of transport is e-snapp. It is an application that you download to your phone and it works the same way as Uber. Snapp is popular in all major cities and works best in cities. Snapp is also much cheaper than yellow taxis and it’s convenient because the driver pick you up at the agreed place. Unlike greedy yellow taxi drivers, you don’t have to argue with the Snapp driver because the price must be agreed before arrival. Sometimes Snapp also goes outside the city to major tourist spots, so you should try. I took Snapp from Tabriz to Kandovan.
Yellow taxis are another option. In some cities there are yellow Peugeot 405s and Iranian Saipa, which drive inside these cities for 20-50 toman depending on the route, but Snapp is cheaper and stress-free.
Sometimes you have to organize your own transport, which is simply convenient and worth it. For example, from Shiraz I had a taxi driver for the whole day, who took me to Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab, he waited for me and then took me back to Shiraz. I could give more examples of that kind. You can order these taxi drivers from your hotel or they will find you in front of the Persian museums and gardens.
Hitchhiking works well in Iran, and sometimes it is paid and sometimes free. But, it is always worth it. Standing in the hot desert where cars are very rare, I realized that money was not the most important thing. I usually hitchhiked for short trips, like from Meybod to Yazd, but once I did for a long distance. I drove that way across the Central Desert by several cars from Khoor to Yazd, even though it took a whole day and was unreliable. Sometimes I would order a private taxi to the furthest point on my route and then stand in the desert waiting for a hitchhiker. Once I was taken by a truck carrying ostriches to the butcher and another time sheep. I was glad I was moving forward. That’s what adventure is all about.
There are also flights in Iran. I don’t support this type of transport because flying is at odds with actually getting to know the country. If someone wants to, they can fly from Ramsar to Qeshm or from Tabriz to Mashhad, but will this type of travel allow you to get to know Iran? I doubt it. In any case, there’s no problem getting from one side of Iran to the other quickly if someone wants to see a few places in a hurry.
Prices (as of 2024/25 when £1=1,000,000 Rial at the street rate): Travelling around Iran is cheap and I consider it a low budget destination.
Before I go into details, I will first say more about the Iranian currency and inflation. The official currency of Iran is the Iranian rial, but there is also an unofficial currency: the toman. The difference is only in the subtraction of four zeros because it is easier that way. For example a 1 000 000 rial banknote minus four zeros is 100 toman. 500 000 rial is 50 toman, and these differences are explained on Iranian banknotes in an easy-to-understand way. It looks that way that for example on the blue 1 000 000 rial banknote there is also number 100, what means the unofficial currency: toman.
I consider this conventional denomination of the Iranian rial to be a very good solution, because it is more convenient that way. The reason however is very unpleasant, because Iranian rial is one of the cheapest currencies in the world, hit with all possible sanctions and exposed to crazy inflation. To understand the seriousness of Iranian inflation I will only give my own experiences. When I was in Iran in 2013, £1 = 50 000 rials at the street rate. When I went to Iran at the turn of 2024/25 the rate changed dramatically several times. In October £1 = 780 000 rials (78 tomans), in November first it was 850 000 rial (850 toman) and then 910 000 rials (91 tomans).When I left in January, £1 was worth even 1 000 000 rial (100 tomans). This means that in just 3.5 months the Iranian currency lost more than 20% of its value with a downward trend. There are also two rates: bank (undervalued) and street (real). So the bank should be the last place to exchange money. It is simply sad but such is reality.
For the cheapest hotels I paid differently. In Zanjan and Shiraz I managed to find the cheapest room for 240 toman per night (around £2.50). In Tabriz and Shushtar I paid 400 toman (£4-5 depending on the exchange rate). In Tehran for a shared room with a good breakfast and 24/7 care I paid 550-700 toman (£6-£7). Accommodation in Iran is therefore cheap.
Transport is also cheap. For transport by bus from Tehran to Qom I paid 1 million rial (100 toman), or around £1 for 150km. Then from Qom to Kashan I also paid 1 million rial (100 toman) or around £1 for 110km. A shared taxi from Ramsar to Rasht cost me 250 toman. A ticket from Rasht to Tabriz was 265 toman for an 11h ride. From Tabriz to Zanjan I paid 135 toman for a 4 hour drive and just under 500km. From Shushtar to Tehran I paid 475 toman for about 700km and 10h ride.
For Snapp to the airport I paid 200 toman. For a taxi on a day trip from Shiraz to Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab I paid 650 toman. The driver waited for me until I finished sightseeing. Being on the Caspian Sea a shared taxi from Chalus to the mountainous Keldarasht cost 100 toman (over £1). A shared taxi from Fuman to the historical village of Masuleh cost 50 toman. From Tabriz to Kandovan I took a private taxi for 150 toman, but I returned in a shared taxi for 30 toman.
Food is also very cheap. I paid 25-100 toman for kebabs, depending on the location because the quality was the same everywhere. Tea is 10-15 toman and a bottle of cola is 20 toman. Coffee costs 30-60 toman and a scoop of ice cream about 15-25 toman. In Shiraz I bought Persian sweets for 60-100 toman. Fruit by weight is cheap because for 50 toman you can have a whole bag of oranges.
Unfortunately Iran has a tourist price, what means that usually for entry to museums, gardens in Shiraz, historical houses in Kashan and other places of interest to tourists, ‘rich people from Europe’ have to pay more. An typical price for an Iranian is 30 tomans and for tourists it is as much as 250-400 tomans. Of course, it is only £2.50-£4 but I don’t feel comfortably when someone wants more money from me because of my origin. Still however, the tourist price in Iran is not as brazen and intrusive as in India. This is also something to pay attention to.
To sum up, if someone travels on a budget in Iran, i.e. sleeps in the cheapest hotels, goes on trips sometimes, eats in cheap restaurants and doesn’t skimp on fruit, sweets and other snacks, a daily budget of £10-£20 is enough. Sometimes you spend more, sometimes less, depending on how much you want to see and where you are. Souvenirs are also included. For a camel bone painting on the wall I paid $20 and for small and large carpets from £12 to £35. As we can see, everyone can afford Iran.
Let me remind you that I am describing budget travel, so if someone wants to spend £100 a day, they will definitely be able to do it.
The supreme leader of Iran Ali Khamenei.
Climate: Iran has a very diverse climate, which is why I call it the country of four seasons. At the same time, in one part of Iran you can live in a hot desert and swim in the hot Persian Gulf, and in another part of Iran you can ski in snowy mountains. In general Iran has a dry climate, which in summer reaches around 35°C-40°C and in the south by the Persian Gulf even over 50°C. Precipitation is also very low, and 23% of Iran is covered by dry desert. In winter in the same areas the air temperature is around 25°C -28°C.
The exceptions are the areas by the Caspian Sea, where the climate is mild and humid and where the highest precipitation occurs. There are also mountainous areas, such as the entire Alborz mountain range, where in winter the temperatures drop below zero, and on the Damavand peak even in summer the temperatures are below -40°C. However, as I said, these are only exceptions because Iran is a dry and hot country.
Whilst travelling around Iran in December and January, I saw snow in the desert. The Central Desert was warm during the day and frosty at night. In summer I don’t recommend going to the Central Desert, the Lut Desert, or the Persian Gulf and the islands in the south. The temperatures are unbearable. On the other hand, if the high temperature and dry air are too much of a problem in Tehran, Esfahan, Yazd or Shiraz, I suggest going to the Caspian Sea, where it will definitely be cooler, more humid and there will be rainfall.
I recommend the entire Middle East only in autumn and winter, but if someone absolutely wants to go to Iran in the summer, they must be prepared not only for the heat but also for the fact that they will have to avoid certain parts of the country. I suggest planning your trip around Iran in terms of climate. The heat in Iran can kill faster than the missiles that are so spectacularly presented in the media.
Hamid
Impressive, thanks for traveling to Iran.