Country

Iran

Iran is a mountain ring (Zagros, Elburz) around a high desert core — nearly invasion-proof, which is why regime change from outside has always been harder than it looks. It sits on the north shore of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil chokepoint, and its regional strategy pushes influence out through the lowlands of Iraq toward the Mediterranean.

32.2°N · 54.9°E