Iran (Things to do - Places to Visit) - IRAN Top Tourist Placesbr A country in the Middle Eastbr Iran, also known as Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. With over 81 million inhabitants, Iran is the world's 18th-most-populous country. br br Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km², it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 17th-largest in the world.