sacrificing Devotees

Political pressure groups and leaders: active student groups include
the pro-reform "Organization for Strengthening Unity" and "the Union of
Islamic Student Societies'; groups that generally support the Islamic
Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution,
Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and the Islamic Coalition
Association; opposition groups include the Liberation Movement of
Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed political groups that have
been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e
Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian
Kurdistan; the Society for the Defense of Freedom

International organization participation: CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19,
G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iran has an Interests
Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section,
Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007;
telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note - protecting power
in Iran is Switzerland

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white,
and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah
in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in
the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times
along the top edge of the red band

Economy Iran

Economy - overview: Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning,
state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture,
and small-scale private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI
has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President
RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of
Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress toward
that goal. The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease financial pressures
on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt service payments. Iran's
financial situation tightened in 1997 and deteriorated further in
1998 because of lower oil prices. The subsequent rise in oil prices
in 1999-2000