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Iran Jomhuriye Eslmiye Irn Republica Islamic Iran

Amplasarea Iranului

Iran (persan: ), oficial Republica Islamic Iran, i pn la 1935 cunoscut internaional ca Persia, este o ar n Asia de Sud-Vest, situat ntre coasta de nord-est al Golfului Persic i coasta sudic a Mrii Caspice. Din anul 1949 sunt folosite att numele Persia, ct i Iran. Iran este utilizat ntre funcionari i n contextul politic-statal. Numele Iran este un nrudit cu cuvntul arian" i nseamn teren de aur.

n sud-vest se dezvolt ntre mileniile III .Hr.-I .Hr. regatul Elam, puternic influenat de civilizaiile mesopotamiene. La sfritul mileniului II .Hr. pe teritoriul Iranului se stabilesc triburile indo-europene ale mezilor i perilor venite din nord (Iran="ara arienilor"). Regatul mezilor, constituit n secolul VII .Hr, atinge apogeul n vremea lui Ciaxare (630 .Hr.-584 .Hr.). Triburile perilor, stabilite n sud-vestul Iranului (Persia), sunt unificate, potrivit tradiiei, ctre anul 700 .Hr., de Ahaimene, ntemeietorul dinastiei Ahemenizilor. Succesorul su, Teispe extinde posesiunile Persiei spre apus. Cyrus I recunoate suzeranitatea Asiriei, iar Cambyses I (600 .Hr.-559 .Hr.) pe al Mediei. Cyrus II cel Mare (559 .Hr.-529 .Hr.), una din cele mai strlucite personaliti ale antichitii, transform n numai 3 decenii Persia, dintr-o putere local n cel mai vast i puternic imperiu al Orientului. Prin nfrngerea lui Astiage (cca. 550 .Hr.), Media devine provincie a statului persan. Cucerind apoi Lidia lui Cresus (546 .Hr.), Persia include n hotarele sale Asia Mic pn la Marea Egee, cu toate coloniile greceti ale Ioniei. n anii 545 .Hr.-539 .Hr. sunt ocupate vaste regiuni din Asia Central (Dragniana, Arachosia, Gedrosia, Bactriana, Sogdiana, etc.) Profitnd de slbirea Regatului Noului Babilon (n urma unor conflicte interne), Cyrus ocup, n 539 .Hr., Babilonul, anexnd, apoi, toate posesiunile Regatului Caldeu din Siria, Fenicia, ara Israel, pn la graniele Egiptului Faraonic.

Imperiul Persan (condus de dinastia Ahemenizilor) se ntinde de la Indus pn n Egipt, Asia Mic i Tracia, eund, ns, n tentativa de ngenunchere a Greciei. Cucerit de Alexandru cel Mare (Alexandru Macedon) (334 .Hr.-330 .Hr.), Imperiul Persan d natere lumii elenistice, apoi devine nucleul regatelor Part (250 .Hr.-226 i Sasanid (226-651 d.Hr), 2 puternice state n permanent rivalitate cu Imperiul Roman. Cucerit de arabi (635-651), Iranul adopt islamismul, dar se desprinde, treptat, n secolele IX-X din Califatul Arab. Ismail I (1499-1524), ntemeitorul dinastiei Sefavizilor, pune bazele unui nou stat iranian centralizat, care ajunge la o remarcabil strlucire sub Abbas I cel Mare (1588-1629). n timpul dinastiei Kajarilor (1779-1925) Persia cunoate o perioad de declin, pierznd, n rzboaiele cu Rusia (1804-1813 i 1826-1828), Gruzia, Daghestanul, Azerbaidjanul de Nord i Armenia de Nord cu Erevanul. n a II-a jumtate a secolului XIX, influena britanic i rus, devin predominante, cele 2 state mprind Persia, prin tratatul din 1907, n 2 zone de influen. Sub dinastia Pahlavi (1925-1979), ndeosebi dup Al II-lea Rzboi Mondial, este urmrit modernizarea structurilor economice, sociale i politice, precum i europenizarea instituiilor, apelndu-se la resursele oferite de exploatarea zcmintelor de iei care transformaser Iranul ntr-unul din marii productori mondiali. Micrile antiguvernamentale laice, dar ndeosebi religioase, generalizate, n 1978, n majoritatea provinciilor, au ca urmare prsirea, la 16 ianuarie 1979, a rii de ctre ahul Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Aryamehr (1941-1971), aliat fidel al S.U.A. i preluarea puterii de ctre Consiliul Revoluionar Islamic, n frunte cu ayatollahul Ruhollah Khomeiny, care proclama, la 1 aprilie 1979, Iranul republic islamic. Noua Constituie, aprobat de un referendum la 2-3 decembrie 1979, transform Iranul ntr-un stat confesional Islamic. Vechea disput de frontier n zona rului att-el Arab servete, n septembrie 1980, Irakului ca pretext pentru a ataca Iranul (Saddam Husein, conductorul Irak-ului, dorind s anexeze regiunea iranian, Kuzestan), ndelungatul conflict dintre cele 2 state (1980-1988) soldndu-se cu grele pierderi n oameni (peste 1.000.000 de mori iranieni) i impresionante distrugeri materiale. Epuizanta confruntare se ncheie n august 1988, prin acceptarea de ctre Iran a Rezoluiei nr. 598 a Consiliului de Securitate al O.N.U., care prevede ncetarea imediat a tuturor ostilitilor. Criza ostaticilor ambasadei S.U.A din Teheran (1979-1981) duce la ruperea relaiilor diplomatice americano-iraniene (7 aprilie 1980). Dup moartea imamului Khomeiny (3 iunie 1989), persoanele care s-au succedat la conducerea Iranului au continuat i continu politica de distanare fa de statele occidentale i de sprijinire a micrilor islamice militante din lume.

Iranul este situat n partea de est a emisferei nordice, n sud-vestul Asiei, fiind considerat ca una din rile Orientului Mijlociu. Geografic, Iranul este situat ntre 44 grade i 63 grade longitudine estic i 25 grade i 39,5 grade latitudine nordic. Iranul prezint o mare diversitate din toate punctele de vedere, chiar i sub aspectul reliefului i climei. Este o ar mare, cu o suprafa de 1.645.258km (cam de 3 ori ct Frana, sau ct a V-a parte a S.U.A, fiind, deci, mai mare dect Regatul Unit, Frana, Elveia, Belgia, Olanda i Germania la un loc).

Iranul de nord, situat la sud de Marea Caspic (unde altitudinea coboar 28 m sub nivelul Oceanului Planetar), este strbtut de un lan muntos ngust, dar foarte nalt, Alborz (Elburz), care primete peste 1.200 de precipitaii anual, i care se pierde, treptat, spre grania cu Afganistanul. Culmile munilor sunt acoperite cu zpad tot anul. Cele mai nalte vrfuri sunt Damavand (5.671m), situat la nord de Teheran, Sabalan (4.880 m), la nord-vest de Teheran i la sud de Tonkabon. n aceast parte a rii, pajitile naturale i pdurile ocup mari suprafee. n inuturile de la nord de Elburz, terenurile agricole sunt utilizate ndeosebi pentru cultura cerealelor, plantaii de ceai i orezrii. Resursele forestiere din inuturile Mazandaran i Guilan constituie materie prim pentru ntreprinderile de prelucrare a lemnului de la Asalem i Neka. rmul Marii Caspice, cu plajele lui de nisip i peisaj pitoresc, se numr printre cele mai cutate locuri de odihn i turism din Iran. Aspectul peisagistic este foarte impresionant. Teritoriul Iranului are forma unui ptrat distorsionat, de parc ar fi fost pus la topit i lsat apoi s se ntreasc din nou. n marginea vestic, de la grania cu Turcia i pn la Golful Oman, se ntind Munii Zagros, care formeaz o limit att de evident, nct unii geopoliticieni l consider adevrata frontier a lumii occidentale. Totui, monumentele istorice iraniene se nir pn departe pe ambele laturi ale acestui lan de muni. Vrful cel mai nalt, Zard Kuh-e Bakktiari, are 4.309 m altitudine. Marginea sudic a munilor este tivit de coasta zimuit a Oceanului Indian. Datorit abundenei calcarului i a altor roci solubile, n Iran se afl numeroase peteri, care constituie puncte de atracie i posibile obiecte de studiu, att pentru pentru turitii obinuii, ct i pentru cei pasionai de speologie. Cele mai renumite peteri se afl n Azerbaidjan, n Kurdistan, n apropiere de Hamadan, n provincia Esfahan (Isfahan) i n mprejurimile Teheranului.

Clima are un caracter excesiv continental, cu veri foarte clduroase i uscate i ierni geroase, cu cderi abundente de zpad. n inuturile din semiluna fertil a Iranului din nord-vest i vest, unde se afl Lurestanul, Kurdistanul i Azerbaidjanul, precipitaiile sunt destul de abundente i constante n timp; cu toate c exist diferene mari de temperatur de la var la iarn, aici prosper cirezile de vite i se practic, cu bune rezultate, agricultura neirigat. Contrastele climatice dintre diferitele regiuni contribuie la sporirea peisagistic. Partea sudic a rii cuprinde cmpiile din Khuzistan, dup care urmeaz o fie ngust de cmpii i dealuri care mrginete rmul Golfului Persic, continundu-se cu Munii Mokran (Mekran). Aici clima este clduroas, greu de suportat, iar ploile sunt foarte rare. Cmpiile din Khuzistan, cu soluri roditoare, sunt cultivate prin irigare cu apa provenit de la numeroasele cursuri de ap, care coboar din Munii Zagros. O metod foarte eficient de contracarare a ariditii climatice din Podiul Iranului, care se practic de 2.500 ani, este sparea de aduciuni subterane (qanat), care capteaz apele din pnza freatic. Aceast metod, care s-a perpetuat pn n timpurile moderne, s-a rspndit din Iran n alte inuturi din Orientul Mijlociu, n Africa de Nord i chiar n Spania. Lungimea total a reelei de qanat ajunge la aproape 40.000km. Iranul este, de asemenea, patria celor mai vechi baraje din lume, multe dintre ele aflndu-se n stare de funcionare i n prezent. Totui, clima Iranului este mai favorabil dect cea a altor ri din Orientul Mijlociu. Mai mult de 1/3 din teritoriu primete o cantitate de precipitaii de peste 250mm/an, iar zpezile abundente din munii care nconjoar Podiul Central, asigur o rezerv important pentru irigaiile de primvar. Ferdousi, vestitul poet epic iranian, vorbete despre litoralul sudic al Mrii Caspice ca despre un inut n care primvara domnete aproape tot timpul anului. Pe mari ntinderi solurile sunt profunde i fertile, dei pe alocuri sunt afectate de eroziune cronic. Litoralul caspic, cmpiile centrale i vile interioare posed soluri relativ fragile, dar care pot fi cultivate. Resursele funciare i hidrice nu sunt pe deplin valorificate. Doar o parte din terenul disponibil este folosit pentru agricultur. Prin lucrri ameliorative de mare amploare, ar putea fi luate n cultur mari suprafee, n prezent, insuficient utilizate, iar pe terenurile cultivate, acum, s-ar putea obine creteri ale recoltelor prin utilizarea mai intens i mai eficient a resurselor de ap. Potrivit datelor statistice, circa 20,7% din suprafaa total a Iranului o constituie terenurile deertice i neproductive, 54,9% sunt pajiti naturale, 7,6% pduri i numai 14,4% teren potenial arabil, din care 11.600.000 ha sunt cultivate anual, iar restul se afl n prloag. Dei, n general, teritoriul Iranului este arid i muntos, n cuprinsul lui exist mai multe lacuri interioare i zone umede (33 la numr). Cele mai importante sunt: lacul Urmia (din Ajerbaidjanul vestic)-483.000 ha; lacurile Maharlu i Barishur (Fars) - 21.600 ha; lacurile Neiriz (Fars) - 98.000 ha, Hamoun-e Hirmand (sau Jazmurian) din apropiere de Kuh-e Khajeh (Sistan) - 40.000 ha. Zonele umede sunt importante, nu numai pentru c adpostesc numeroase psri de ap interesante din punct de vedere tiinific, ci i pentru c au o productivitate natural ridicat, un peisaj atrgtor i ofer posibiliti de practicare a unor activiti sportive i recreaionale. n Muntele Ararat, situat la grania turco-armeano-iranian i portul Chah Bahar de la Golful Oman, din extremitatea sud-estic a rii, este o distan mai mare dintre Paris i Atena. Dac suprapunem harta Iranului peste cea a Europei vestice, oraul sfnt Mashhad se va afla n dreptul Budapestei, Abadan va cdea n Sardinia, Teheran n locul Venetiei, iar Shiraz n dreptul oraului Napoli. Pe aceast ntindere considerabil se succed, de la nord la sud i de la est la vest, condiii climatice diferite. Contrastului dintre diversele regiuni, i se adaug cel determinat de succesiunea anotimpurilor: acelai inut poate s aib o var dogoritoare i o iarn geroas. ns n cele 5 centre turistice principale, Esfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz Tabriz, Teheran, iarna are, n general, caracteristici similare, cu excepia Shirazului care beneficiaz de temperaturi mai blnde. Pornind dintr-un punct central, rareori, poi face deplasri mai scurte de o zi. De exemplu, Persepolis, care se consider c este situat "aproape" de Shiraz, se afl la 60km deprtare, iar Pasargadae la 130km. ns barierele naturale nu au mpiedicat, ca ntre locuitorii de pe litoral i cei din interiorul rii s existe ntotdeauna strnse legturi economice i sociale.

Iranul are o suprafa de 1.648.195km ptrai, fiind a XVII-a ar ca ntindere de pe glob.

Iranul este mprit n 30 de provincii.

Orae principale: Mashhad, Isfahan(Esfahan), Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahwaz, Bakhtaran, Qom, Urumije, Rasht, Hamadan.

Piranshahr

Anul i Populaia:

Populaia Iranului este format din: peri - 65%; azeri i alte popoare turcice - circa 20%; kurzi - 8%; arab - 2%, armeni etc. Cea mai mare parte a locuitorilor sunt stabilii n nordul i nord-vestul rii, cu puternice concentrri de-a lungul rmului Mrii Caspice, n jurul capitalei i n provinciile Azerbaidjan Bakhtari i Azerbaidjan Khavari. Alte concentrri mai importante de populaie se ntlnesc n sectorul nordic al rmului Golfului Persic, n jurul oraului Mashhad. Circa 1/3 din suprafaa Iranului (cele 3 deerturi) este aproape nelocuit.

Limba oficial a Iranului este persana (farsi). Limba persan are aproximativ 71.000.000 de vorbitori ca limb matern i alte circa 31.000.000 ca limb secundar. Este limba oficial n Iran, Afganistan (alturi de afgana) i Tadjikistan (dialectul tadjic, considerat n trecut limb separat din motive mai mult politice dect lingvistice[necesitcitare]). Minoriti persanofone se gsesc n Uzbekistan i n diaspor, n India, Pakistan, S.U.A, Israel. nc din antichitate, persana a fost o limb important, fiind limba principal a Persiei, unul din cele mai puternice state asiatice. Dup cucerirea islamic, persana a devenit una din limbile principale ale culturii islamice din Asia, fiind folosit ca limb de prestigiu n ntreaga Asie Central i de Sud, inclusiv de popoare care nu vorbeau persana ca limb matern. n subcontinentul indian, persana a fost limba oficial a mprailor moguli, abia n 1842 colonizatorii britanici lund msuri de nlocuire a acesteia cu engleza. Tradiional, se folosete alfabetul arab modificat. Acesta a fost adoptat cam la 150 de ani dup cucerirea islamic. nainte de aceasta se foloseau dou alfabete indigene: Pahlavi (o versiune a alfabetului arameic) i dndapirak. n U.R.S.S s-a folosit i alfabetul latin (dup revoluia bolevic pn la sfritul anilor 1930) i alfabetul chirilic (de la sfritul anilor '30), pentru dialectul tadjic, declarat limb separat. Alfabetul chirilic se mai folosete i n zilele noastre n Tadjikistan. O scriere pe baza alfabetului latin a fost creat cu 50 de ani n urm de Mahomed Keyvan, n Iran. Scrierea oficial n Iran i Afganistan este bazat pe alfabetul arab.

Dialecte:

Religia majoritar n Iran este islamul. Aproximativ 98% dintre iranieni aparin acestei religii. Majoritatea musulmanilor iranieni sunt iii, islamul iit fiind religie de stat. Alte religii majoritare, n afar de islam, sunt cretinismul, hinduismul, iudaismul, bah' i zoroastrismul. Zoroastrismul este vechea religie oficial a Persiei, religie nlocuit cu islamul sunnit dup cucerirea arab din secolul al VII-lea. Islamul sunnit a fost nlocuit cu cel iit n secolul al XVI-lea, n timpul dinastiei Safavide. Astzi mai exist n Iran mici comuniti zoroastriste cu propriile lor temple i preoi. De multe ori, persoanele nemusulmane din Iran sunt agresate i supuse la convertiri forate.

Rapida dezvoltare economic a rii n deceniile VII-VIII ale secolului XX, n deceniul urmtor i n refacere, n prezent, se datoreaz, n principal, exploatrii i prelucrrii petrolului, care asigur 1/5 din produsul naional brut (PNB) i cvasitotalitatea exporturilor (peste 70%). Avnd mari rezerve de petrol, Iranul i-a sporit producia n ultimii ani, tinznd s redevin unul din principalii productori i exportatori mondiali n domeniu, cum era nainte de 1980. Posed importante capaciti de rafinare a petrolului a cror extindere o vizeaz. Are imense rezerve de gaze naturale, tot mai mult valorificate.

Industria prelucrtoare, relativ diversificat (ndeosebi rafinarea petrolului, chimic, metalurgic, textil, alimentar, maini, trenuri i tramvai), i for de munc. n prezent, Iranul ncearc dezvoltarea unui ambiios proiect energetic pe baza construirii unor centrale atomoelectrice. Acest proiect este puternic contestat de S.U.A i alte ri occidentale pe motiv c se ncearc, de fapt, dezvoltarea unui proiect nuclear militar de realizare a armei nucleare (ncercri declarate, de altfel, de ctre autoritile statului iranian). Agricultura concentreaz nc o bun parte a populaiei active (2/5) i asigur 1/5 din PNB, principalul sector fiind producia vegetal. Se cultiv, ndeosebi, gru i orz (aproape 3/5 din suprafaa cultivat), de asemenea, orez, sfecl de zahr, trestie de zahr, bumbac i alte plante. Exist plantaii arborescente de curmali, smochini i citrice. Balana comercial a rii este deficitar.

n luna mai 2008, Iranul era al IV-lea productor de petrol din lume[6], cu rezerve estimate la 136 miliarde de barili[7]. Are o producie de 4,21 milioane de barili pe zi, i a obinut 70 miliarde de dolari n anul 2007, din vnzarile de petrol[8]. nainte de rzboiul cu Irakul vecin, ntre 1980 i 1988, Iranul producea aproape 6 milioane de barili de petrol pe zi[7].

n ce privete gazele naturale, cu livrri de zece miliarde de metri cubi n anul 2009, Iranul este al doilea mare furnizor de gaze naturale, dup Rusia[9].

n anul 2010, comerul bilateral dintre Iran i China s-a ridicat la 29,3 miliarde de dolari, n cretere cu 40% fa de 2009[10].

ntre 1979-2011 pe lista patrimoniului mondial UNESCO au fost incluse 13 obiective culturale sau naturale din Iran.

Excerpt from:
Iran - Wikipedia

The U.S. Navy dispatched three warships near the southern coast of Yemen after four rockets hit and nearly sank a United Arab Emirates auxiliary ship Saturday, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack. There were no reported injuries to the Emerati crew. Al Jazeera reported on video of the attack.

Iran supplied the Houthis with the shoulder-fired rockets that nearly destroyed the UAE ship, according to two U.S. officials. It was not immediately clear what type of rocket the rebels may have fired. The ship was formerly contracted to the U.S., two defense officials confirmed, and at one time an American company owned the vessel.

Military officials sent the Navy warships to the southern end of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, also known as the Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers, USS Mason and USS Nitze, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and an assortment of deck-mounted high-caliber machine guns, joined USS Ponce, a floating staging ship which includes a compliment of special operations forces, according to one official.

Describing the U.S. response to the Houthis and their Iranian backers, one official said, This is a show of force, adding, Its concerning anytime this happens.

The U.S. Navy keeps a high state of readiness in the Persian Gulf and nearby Gulf of Aden south of Yemen, according to the official. It was not immediately clear if any official guidance had been issued to raise that posture.

Sending the warships to the area is a message that the primary goal of the Navy is to ensure that shipping continues unimpeded in the strait and the vicinity, said a U.S. defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The attacked vessel is an Australian built high-speed logistics ship leased to the UAE, Reuters reported.

The UAE is part of a Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition in Yemen fighting the Houthis in a civil war that began in 2015. The United States has provided support to the Saudi-led coalition in the past, including intelligence support and mid-air refueling tankers.

Crews are towing the UAE ship to a port in nearby Eritrea, according to two U.S. defense officials.

The United States strongly condemned the unprovoked attack by the Houthis in a statement Sunday. We call on the Houthi-Saleh groups to immediately cease attacks against all vessels. These provocative actions risk exacerbating the current conflict and narrow the prospects for a peaceful settlement, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

In April, the U.S. Navy intercepted a weapons shipment from Iran to Yemen to aid the Houthis ahead of President Obamas visit to Saudi Arabia.

A year earlier, the U.S. Navy dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to shadow an Iranian convoy which had weapons displayed brazenly on its decks. The Iranian convoy turned around and returned home before it reached Yemen, U.S. defense officials said at the time.

Lucas Tomlinson is the Pentagon and State Department producer for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LucasFoxNews

See the original post here:
US warships sent to area where Iran-backed rebels attacked ...

Islamic Republic of Iran Asia See Prayer Information Geography

Area: 1,648,196 sq km

Situated between the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the south. A central desert ringed by mountains.

Population: 75,077,547Annual Growth: 1.19%

Capital: Tehran

Urbanites: 69.5%

HDI Rank: 88 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples: 103 (90% unreached) All peoples Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Persian (Farsi; Dari and Tajik are major dialects); almost all Iranians speak some form of Persian as a mother tongue or second languageLanguages: 79 All languages

Largest Religion: Muslim

Prayercast

The majority of the wider Christian community are Christian Armenians with a smaller number of Assyrians and Chaldeans. They are cultural and linguistic islands isolated in a Muslim sea. While they live in relative peace, their fear of persecution and of job and educational discrimination, as well as their desire to offer their families a more stable and promising future, drive many to emigrate, denuding Iran of the richness of communities that predate Islam by centuries. Pray for a work of the Holy Spirit in these often-nominal churches, that Jesus might shine through their lives and that they might have a burden for their Muslim neighbours.

Evangelical churches before the revolution were generally small and struggling, and they contained very few Muslim-background believers. The traumatic changes and suffering that followed the revolution gave churches a brief period of renewal, outreach, literature distribution and many conversions. Barriers among denominations broke down. The hostility of the regime toward evangelicals caused much greater interest in Christianity among Persians Presbyterians and Assemblies of God, especially, grew as a result. Intimidation, infiltration and martyrdom of several church leaders, and pressure from the government to not welcome Muslims into services, have caused many churches to adopt house church models. Most churches that meet publicly now tow the government line and do not overtly evangelize Muslims. Pray for:

a) Adequate income for Christians who face poverty both from general economic decline and from religious discrimination in the workplace. Emigration is a solution for pressured Christians, but their vital witness in needy Iran is then lost. Pray that believers may break through this economic pressure and resist the temptation to leave.

b) Courage and fortitude such that their persecutors are won for Christ. While Armenians and Assyrians are discriminated against, Muslim-background believers are actively persecuted. Pray also for greater freedom for churches to minister, as they long to do.

c) Protection and deliverance for all MBBs. The large majority meet secretly in small house groups. There is always a danger that such meetings could be discovered and those involved punished, especially the leaders. A decentralized cell structure and the use of techniques honed by the underground party-circuit help house groups avoid detection and arrest.

d) Churches outside of Tehran often face more intimidation as fundamentalist forces exercise more control in less-urban areas. Many towns and villages lack any churches at all. However, this is changing due to the increasing influence of the Internet and satellite TV as well as the enthusiasm of young Iranian Christians to evangelize their countrymen. House church movements are spreading throughout the country.

For an additional 12 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Iran.

Continued here:
Iran | Operation World

Speaking to global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Rouhani then attacked the US for what he described as "illegal actions," referring to the US Supreme Court decision in April to allow US victims of terror to claim nearly $2 billion in compensation from Iran's central bank.

The decision allows impounded Iranian assets to be distributed to more than 1,000 US survivors of terror attacks for which the US deems Iranian groups responsible.

Rouhani blamed the ruling on the influence of "Zionist pressure groups" in Washington.

But the Iranian President, who faces an election in May and has been sharply criticized by hardliners for making concessions the US to accomplish the nuclear pact, did offer some positive words about the agreement.

The ability of Iran and world powers to negotiate the deal indicates "the success we can achieve through moderation, constructive interaction, dialogue -- the policy that brought an end to a long, complicated and unnecessary crisis by adopting a win-win approach," he told the gathered international luminaries.

He added that "it was a political deal that also represents a creative method ... to resolving international challenges."

But Rouhani still lit into the US at one point for its "lack of compliance" with the terms, saying that "represents a flawed approach that should be rectified forthwith."

And he warned Washington that any failure to implement it "will further erode the credibility of the US in the world."

The US rejected the accusation that it is failing to keep up its end of the bargain.

"The United States has and will continue to implement its commitments under the deal with good faith and without exception," said a US State Department official, who added America has "unequivocally met" its terms and has "made absolutely clear that we are committed to full and effective implementation of our sanctions-related commitments."

After Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities, years of tough economic sanctions were lifted under the deal, allowing Tehran's oil to be sold internationally.

Iran has been frustrated that it has not seen more of an economic benefit stemming from the deal, with many countries still wary of doing business with the country.

Rouhani's critique didn't stop there, blaming global powers' post 9/11 security strategies for "the genesis of borderless violence and terrorism" in the world.

Speaking in New York 15 years after the mass terror attack, he said that "no one imagined that this occurrence would lead to larger disasters resulting in a devastating war in the Middle East and the spread of insecurity across the globe."

He pointed to the plight of the Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni, Afghan and Palestinian people, while calling on neighbors to "stop bombing each other and accept responsibility for past mistakes".

Iran's President also pointed his finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia, warning that the country must "cease and desist from divisive policies" if peace is to be found in the Middle East.

"If the Saudi government is serious about its vision for development and regional security, it must cease and desist from divisive policies, spread of hate ideology, and trampling upon the rights of neighbors," Rouhani told world leaders.

Shi'ite-led Iran and the Saudi Arabian Sunni monarchy are on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with Iran sending forces and advisers to back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while its rival supports Syrian rebel groups.

They are also divided over Yemen. The Saudis have accused Iran of backing the Houthi rebels, who seized power from the government in March. At least 30 Yemeni civilians were killed Wednesday in Saudi-led airstrikes in the port region of Hodieda.

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Iran threatened to shoot down two US Navy surveillance aircraft flying close to Iranian territory in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, the latest in a series of recent provocations between Iran and the US military in the region, three US defense officials with knowledge of the incident told Fox News.

On Sept. 10, a Navy P-8 Poseidon with a crew of nine and an EP-3 Eries with a crew of roughly 24, were flying a reconnaissance mission 13 miles off the coast of Iran, through the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, according to officials who call the boundary Irans black line.

Irans territorial waterslike all nations--extend 12 miles into the sea, according to international maritime law.

At some point during the flight, the Iranian military warned the two aircraft to change course or risk getting shot down.

The US military planes ignored the warning and continued flying in international airspace, although close to Iranian territory, the officials told Fox.

We wanted to test the Iranian reaction, one US official told Fox News when asked why the US jets were flying close to Iran.

Its one thing to tell someone to get off your lawn, but we werent on their lawn, the official continued. Anytime you threaten to shoot someone down, its not considered professional.

The official said the Iranian behavior was characterized as unprofessional. Another official said the incident was not considered unsafe because there were no Iranian missile launchers in the area, according to the latest intelligence reports.

The latest incident between the US military and Iran is just the latest in a series of confrontations in region.

Last month, Iranian fast-boats harassed US Navy warships in the Persian Gulf on at least five occasions. One incident resulting in three warning shots being fired from a US Navy coastal patrol craft, when an Iranian vessel ignored repeated radio calls to change course. On another occasion, an Iranian boat stopped 100 yards in front of a US Navy ship forcing it to take evasive maneuvers.

Over the weekend, a senior Iranian military commander dismissed claims that his vessels had harassed US Navy ships in the Persian Gulf saying his nation acted in accordance with internationally recognized maritime law.

"Iranian boats continue to act based on defined standards and are well aware of the international laws and regulations, so the claims are not only untrue, but stem from their fear of the power of Iran's soldiers," said Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, according to state news agency IRNA and reported by AFP.

Dangerous interactions at sea between Iran and the US Navy have doubled in the first half of 2016 compared to the same time last year, Fox News first reported last month.

On Aug. 30, the head of US forces in the Middle East was asked to explain Irans perceived aggressiveness.

This is principally the regime leadership trying to exert their influence and authority in the region. And they are trying to do it in provocative ways, said Gen. Joe Votel, commander of US Central Command at a Pentagon press briefing.

In July, days after the one-year anniversary of the nuclear agreement, Iran attempted at least their fourth ballistic missile test in violation of a UN Security Council resolution tied to the nuclear agreement.

In January, Iran took 10 US Navy sailors captive after their two patrol boats traveled into Iranian waters before releasing them 16 hours later.

In December, an Iranian missile boat fired several unguided rockets close to a US Navy aircraft carrier transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Lucas Tomlinson is the Pentagon and State Department producer for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LucasFoxNews

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