Iran has been targeted by continued airstrikes from the United States and Israel, resulting in at least 1,045 fatalities since Saturday, according to recent reports.
The Iranian government has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and several Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. The conflict has escalated in recent days, with no clear end in sight.
Tehran, the capital city of Iran, has been at the center of the conflict, with its history dating back over 6,000 years. The city is home to 9.6 million inhabitants, comparable to New York, the most populous city in the United States.
Geographic Context
Iran is roughly the same size as Alaska, covering about 1.65 million square kilometers. To put that into context, Iran is about one-sixth the size of the United States, and its population of 92 million people represents about a quarter of the US population.
The country shares a land border with seven countries, including Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Armenia. Iran's vast central plateau is comparable to the arid stretches of Arizona or inland California, sparsely populated and shaped by a harsh desert climate.
International Response
According to recent polling, only one in four Americans approves of the US strikes on Iran. Approval among supporters of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party is stronger, but not resounding, with 55 percent saying they approved of the strikes.
Iran's gross domestic product (GDP) is $375 billion, ranking it 43rd globally, and it has an unemployment rate of about 9.2 percent. The country is rich in oil and gas, ranking as the world's ninth largest oil producer and third largest natural gas producer.
Source: Al Jazeera
