100 Notable alumni of
University of Tehran
Updated:
The University of Tehran is 76th in the world, 12th in Asia, and 1st in Iran by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Tehran sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Hassan Rouhani
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- 1969-1972 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianwriterclericlawyerdiplomat
- Biography
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Hassan Rouhani is an Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. He is also a sharia lawyer ("Wakil"), academic, former diplomat and Islamic cleric. He served as a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts from 1999 to 2024. He was a member of the Expediency Council from 1991 to 2013, and also was a member of the Supreme National Security Council from 1989 to 2021. Rouhani was deputy speaker of the fourth and fifth terms of the Parliament of Iran (Majlis) and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 1989 to 2005. In the latter capacity, he was the country's top negotiator with the EU three, UK, France, and Germany, on nuclear technology in Iran, and has also served as a Shia mujtahid (a senior cleric), and economic trade negotiator.
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
- Occupations
- politicianwriterakhoondentrepreneur
- Biography
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Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani was an Iranian politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic, Rafsanjani was the head of the Assembly of Experts from 2007 until 2011 when he decided not to nominate himself for the post. He was also the chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council.
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Abbas Kiarostami
- Occupations
- photographerscreenwriterfilm directorproducersculptor
- Biography
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Abbas Kiarostami was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of over forty films, including shorts and documentaries. Kiarostami attained critical acclaim for directing the Koker trilogy (1987–1994), Close-Up (1990), The Wind Will Carry Us (1999), and Taste of Cherry (1997), which was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year. In later works, Certified Copy (2010) and Like Someone in Love (2012), he filmed for the first time outside Iran: in Italy and Japan, respectively. His films Where Is the Friend's Home? (1987), Close-Up, and The Wind Will Carry Us were ranked among the 100 best foreign films in a 2018 critics' poll by BBC Culture. Close-Up was also ranked one of the 50 greatest movies of all time in the famous decennial Sight & Sound poll conducted in 2012.
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Asghar Farhadi
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorproducer
- Biography
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Asghar Farhadi is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Iranian cinema as well as world cinema in the 21st century. His films have gained recognition for their focus on the human condition, and portrayals of intimate and challenging stories of internal family conflicts. In 2012, he was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. That same year, he also received the Legion of Honour from France.
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Massoud Rajavi
- Occupations
- politicianpartisanmilitary leader
- Biography
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Massoud Rajavi is an Iranian politician and revolutionary who became the leader of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) in 1979. After leaving Iran in 1981, he resided in France and Iraq. He went missing shortly before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leaving his then wife and co-leader Maryam Rajavi as the public face of the MEK.
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Abolhassan Banisadr
- Occupations
- economistessayistpoliticianwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Abolhassan Banisadr was an Iranian politician, writer, and political dissident. He was the first president of Iran after the 1979 Iranian Revolution abolished the monarchy, serving from February 1980 until his impeachment by parliament in June 1981. Prior to his presidency, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Interim Government.
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Al Sayed Musa al-Sadr
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Studied fiqh and political science
- Occupations
- politicianakhoondtheologian
- Biography
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Musa Sadr al-Din al-Sadr was a Lebanese-Iranian Shia Muslim cleric, politician and revolutionary In Lebanon. He founded and revived many Lebanese Shia organizations, including schools, charities, and the Amal Movement.
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Mostafa Chamran
- Occupations
- politicianphysicistmilitary officer
- Biography
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Mostafa Chamran Save'ei was an Iranian physicist, politician, commander and guerrilla fighter who served as the first defense minister of post-revolutionary Iran and a member of parliament as well as the commander of paramilitary volunteers in Iran–Iraq War, known as "Irregular Warfare Headquarters". He was killed during the Iran–Iraq War.
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Hossein Amirabdollahian
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in international relations
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as foreign minister of Iran from 2021 until his death in a helicopter crash in 2024. He was the deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs between 2011 and 2016.
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Parsa Pirouzfar
- Occupations
- screenwritertheatrical directorplaywrightfilm directoractor
- Biography
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Parsa Pirouzfar is an Iranian actor, theatre director, painter, playwright and translator. He is best known for his role in In the Eyes of the Wind (2009–2010), and Mum's Guest (2004). He has received various accolades, including a Hafez Award and an Iran Cinema Celebration Award, in addition to a nomination for a Crystal Simorgh.
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Ali Larijani
- Occupations
- politicianphilosopher
- Biography
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Ali Ardeshir Larijani is an Iranian politician and former military officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020. He has been a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since 2020, having previously served from 1997 to 2008. Larijani filed for candidacy in the 2024 presidential election, but was ultimately disqualified. He previously ran in 2005, but was disqualified from running in 2021.
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Mohsen Rezaee
- Occupations
- military leaderpolitician
- Biography
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Mohsen Rezaee Mirgha'ed (Persian: محسن رضایی, born Sabzevar Rezaee Mirgha'ed (Persian: سبزوار رضایی میرقائد; born 1 September 1954) is an Iranian conservative politician affiliated with the Resistance Front of Islamic Iran and senior military officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who is currently a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, secretary of the Supreme Council for Economic Coordination, as well as the secretary of the Iranian government's Economic Committee. He was secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council from 1997 to 2021 and Vice President of Iran for Economic Affairs between 2021 and 2023.
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Lotfi A. Zadeh
- Occupations
- university teachermathematiciancomputer scientistengineer
- Biography
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Lotfi Aliasker Zadeh was a mathematician, computer scientist, electrical engineer, artificial intelligence researcher, and professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. Zadeh is best known for proposing fuzzy mathematics, consisting of several fuzzy-related concepts: fuzzy sets, fuzzy logic, fuzzy algorithms, fuzzy semantics, fuzzy languages, fuzzy control, fuzzy systems, fuzzy probabilities, fuzzy events, and fuzzy information. Zadeh was a founding member of the Eurasian Academy.
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Atila Pesiani
- Occupations
- performing artistactortelevision actor
- Biography
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Atila Pesyani was an Iranian actor.
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Shirin Ebadi
- Occupations
- women's rights activistpoliticianlawyerwriterhuman rights activist
- Biography
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Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian Nobel laureate, lawyer, writer, teacher and a former judge and founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. In 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering efforts for democracy and women's, children's, and refugee rights. She was the first Muslim woman and the first Iranian to receive the award.
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Mohsen Tanabandeh
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorfilm directoractor
- Biography
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Mohsen Tanabandeh is an Iranian actor, director and screenwriter. In 2022, he won the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor at the 79th Venice International Film Festival for his performance in World War III (2022). He has received various accolades, including three Crystal Simorgh and four Hafez Awards.
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Jafar Panahi
- Occupations
- film directorfilm produceractorscreenwriterdirector
- Biography
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Jafar Panâhi is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and film editor, commonly associated with the Iranian New Wave film movement. After several years of making short films and working as an assistant director for fellow Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, Panahi achieved international recognition with his feature film debut, The White Balloon (1995). The film won the Caméra d'Or at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, the first major award an Iranian film won at Cannes.
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Ehsan Alikhani
- Occupations
- presenterfilm producertelevision producertelevision presenterfilm director
- Biography
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Ehsan Alikhani is an Iranian producer, television presenter, and director.
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Saeed AghaKhani
- Occupations
- actorscreenwritertelevision directorfilm directorwriter
- Biography
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Saeed Aghakhani is an Iranian actor and director. He has received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh, two Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Awards and a Duhok International Film Festival Award.
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Saeed Rad
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Ahmad Saeed Hagh Parast Raad was an Iranian actor and playwright who started his career in 1968. Rad left Iran in 1986 and lived in Canada but returned in 2000 to continue his career.
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Mahmoud Hessabi
- Occupations
- politiciannuclear physicistacademic
- Biography
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Mahmoud Hessabi was an Iranian nuclear physicist and senator. He was the minister of education in the cabinet of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh from 1951 to 1952.
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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
- Occupations
- journalistpublic relations executiveproject manager
- Biography
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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an Iranian-British dual citizen who was detained in Iran from 3 April 2016 to 16 March 2022 as part of a long-running dispute between Britain and Iran. In early September 2016, she was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of plotting to topple the Iranian government. While in prison, she went on at least three hunger strikes trying to persuade Iranian authorities to provide medical treatment for her health problems. She was temporarily released on 17 March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, but subject to electronic monitoring.
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Abdolkarim Soroush
- Occupations
- writeruniversity teacherphilosopher
- Biography
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Abdolkarim Soroush, born Hossein Haj Faraj Dabbagh (born 16 December 1945; Persian: حسين حاج فرج دباغ), is an Iranian Islamic and Rumi scholar, and a former professor of philosophy at the University of Tehran. He is among the most influential figures in the religious intellectual movement of Iran.
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Hamid Farrokhnezhad
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Studied theatrical director
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directoractor
- Biography
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Hamid Farrokhnezhad is an Iranian actor, writer, and director. He has received various accolades, including four Crystal Simorgh (two for acting), two Hafez Awards, three Iran Cinema Celebration Awards, and an Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award.
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Bahram Bayzai
- Occupations
- historianplaywrightdirectorfilm editoruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Bahrām Beyzāêi is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and ostād ("master") of Persian letters, arts and Iranian studies.
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Jaleh Sameti
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Zhaleh Sameti is an Iranian actress. She graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran in the field of theater and began her professional career in 1994 with a role in "Det". When Did You See Sahar Last Time?? (2015) and Darkhongah (2018) has been nominated for Crystal Simorgh from Fajr Film Festival. She has also won the Hafez Award for Home and Underground TV Series (2020–present). Sameti has been a judge in the Asre Jadid television competition since 2022.
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Hadi Hejazifar
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in puppetry
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directoractor
- Biography
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Hadi Hejazifar is an Iranian actor, director and screenwriter. He gained attention and received critical acclaim for his performances in films Standing in the Dust (2016), Midday Adventures (2017), Atabai (2020), Majority (2021), and The Lion Skin (2022–2023). He has received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh, two Hafez Awards, an Urban International Film Festival Award and two Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Awards.
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Ebrahim Golestan
- Occupations
- film directorwriterscreenwritertranslatorfilm producer
- Biography
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Ebrahim Taghavi Shirazi, known as Ebrahim Golestan, was an Iranian filmmaker and literary figure. Golestan was closely associated with Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad, whom he met in his studio in 1958, until her death. He was said to have inspired her to live more independently. It could also be said that she inspired him in his artistic vision. He lived in Sussex, United Kingdom from 1975 until his death.
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Roya Nonahali
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in painting
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Roya Nonahali is an Iranian actress and director. She studied painting, and has worked in theatre since 1984. Nonahali started film acting with The Beloved Is at Home (1987, by Khosrow Sinai). Then she was selected by Mohsen Makhmalbaf for Marriage of the Blessed and received a Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress from Fajr International Film Festival. Her performance in Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine was awarded with the Best Supporting Actress award at the festival. She started acting in TV programs by Asleep & Awake in 2001. In 2019 she referee's in first Iranian Talent Show called Asre Jadid produced by Ehsan Alikhani.
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Mohammad Ali Jafari
- Occupations
- military personnelpolitician
- Biography
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Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari is a retired Iranian military officer and former commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 2007 to 2019. He was appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 1 September 2007, succeeding Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi.
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Mohammad Ali Foroughi
- Occupations
- politicianjournalistdiplomatwriterliterary
- Biography
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Mohammad Ali Foroughi, also known as Zoka-ol-Molk (Persian: ذُکاءُالمُلک), was an Iranian politician, writer, freemason, Azali, and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Iran for three terms. He wrote numerous books on ancient Iranian history and is known for founding the Academy of Iran.
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Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel
- Occupations
- politicianphysicistwritertranslatorfaculty member
- Biography
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Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel is an Iranian conservative and principlist politician and former chairman of the Parliament. He is currently member of the Expediency Discernment Council.
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Mehraveh Sharifinia
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in music
- Occupations
- actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Mahraveh Sharifinia is an Iranian film and television actress. She has a Diploma in Mathematics (Physics) and has studied music education at the University of Art in Tehran. She is the daughter of Mohammadreza Sharifinia and Azita Hajian. Mehraveh Sharifinia attended a semester studying film directing, but after consulting with her father withdrew from the study in this field. She is trained in the piano as her specialised musical instrument.
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Simin Daneshvar
- Occupations
- short story writerlinguistwritertranslatoruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Simin Dāneshvar was an Iranian academic, novelist, fiction writer, and translator.
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Nechervan Idris Barzani
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Studied political science
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Nechirvan Idris Barzani is an Iraqi Kurdish politician serving as the second President of the Kurdistan Region. He was elected into office by the Kurdistan Region Parliament in June 2019. Nechirvan Barzani was appointed as Vice President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 2010. He previously served as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government from March 2007 to August 2009 and March 2012 to May 2019. Nechirvan Barzani is also the founder of the University Of Kurdistan Hewlêr, the region's top ranking university located in Erbil.
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Ebrahim Yazdi
- Occupations
- politicianpharmacistactivist
- Biography
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Ebrahim Yazdi was an Iranian politician, pharmacist, and diplomat who served as deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs in the interim government of Mehdi Bazargan, until his resignation in November 1979, in protest at the Iran hostage crisis. From 1995 until 2017, he headed the Freedom Movement of Iran. Yazdi was also a trained cancer researcher.
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Amin Tarokh
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Amin Tarokh was an Iranian actor. He has received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh, a Hafez Award. He also used to teach acting and was the teacher of famous actors like Taraneh Alidoosti, Gelareh Abbasi, Shabnam Moghaddami, Navid Pourfaraj, Pouria Rahimisam, Majid Vasheghani, Hedieh Bazvand and more.
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Ali Akbar Velayati
- Occupations
- politicianphysician
- Biography
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Ali Akbar Velayati is an Iranian conservative politician and physician. He is currently a member of the Expediency Discernment Council. Velayati is a distinguished professor at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, senior adviser to the Supreme Leader in international affairs and head of the board of founders and the board of trustees of the Islamic Azad University.
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Mehdi Hashemi
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directordirectoractor
- Biography
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Mehdi Hashemi is an Iranian actor, screenwriter, and director.
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Mohammad Khamenei
- Occupations
- academic
- Biography
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Ayatollah Sayyid Mohammad Khamenei is an Iranian cleric and politician. He is the older brother of Ali Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of Iran, and Hadi Khamenei. Currently, he is the president of Iranology Foundation, and Sadra Islamic Wisdom Foundation, he is a professor at Allameh Tabataba'i University, School of International Relations and Al-Zahra University. He was also one of the compilers of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a member for the Islamic Consultative Assembly representing Mashhad.
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Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianreligious figure
- Biography
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Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i is an Iranian conservative politician, Islamic jurist and prosecutor who currently serves as Chief Justice of Iran.
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Mehdi Karroubi
- Occupations
- entrepreneurpoliticianbusinessperson
- Biography
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Mehdi Karroubi is an Iranian Shia cleric and reformist politician leading the National Trust Party. Following 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Karroubi was put under house arrest in February 2011. As of 2021, he is still confined to his house.
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Ahmad Kazemi
- Occupations
- military leader
- Biography
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Sayyid Ahmad Kazemi was an Iranian army brigadier general and one of the most notable soldiers in the Iran–Iraq War.
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Abdolnaser Hemmati
- Occupations
- economist
- Biography
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Abdolnaser Hemmati is an Iranian academic, politician, and economist who has been served as the minister of economic and financial affairs since 2024.
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Ali Mosaffa
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directoractor
- Biography
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Ali Mosaffa is an Iranian actor and filmmaker.
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Mohammad Reza Aref
- Occupations
- engineerpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Mohammad Reza Aref is an Iranian engineer, academic and reformist politician who is the eighth and current first vice president of Iran since 2024, under President Masoud Pezeshkian. He is also currently member of the Expediency Discernment Council since 2002.
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Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda
- Occupations
- politicianlexicographersatiristjournalistlinguist
- Biography
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Allameh Ali-Akbar Dehkhodā was a prominent Iranian literary writer, philologist, and lexicographer.
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Noor Ali Tabandeh
- Occupations
- ummahMuslimlawyer
- Biography
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Noor-Ali Tabandeh was the spiritual leader or Qutb of the Ni'matullah (Sultan Ali Shahi) Gonabadi Order in Iran (Gonabadi Dervishes), which is the largest Sufi order in Iran. He was born in Beydokht, Gonabad, Iran and died in Mehr Hospital in Tehran on 24 December 2019 after two years of house arrest.
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Aydin Aghdashloo
- Occupations
- writerpaintergraphic designer
- Biography
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Aydin Aghdashloo is an Iranian painter, graphic artist, art curator, writer, and film critic.
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Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob
- Occupations
- historianliterary criticwritertranslatorliterary
- Biography
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Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub was a scholar and professor of Iranian literature, history of literature, Persian culture and history.
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Susan Taslimi
- Occupations
- directorscreenwritertheatrical directorfilm producerstage actor
- Biography
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Susan Taslimi, (also spelled Soosan Taslimi and Sousan Taslimi) is an Iranian-Swedish film and theatre actress, director and screenwriter. She emigrated from Iran in 1987, and now lives and works in Sweden.
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Pantea Bahram
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- 1992-1996 graduated with bachelor's degree in screenwriting
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Pantea Bahram is an Iranian actress. She has received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh and an Iran Cinema Celebration Award, in addition to nominations for six Hafez Awards and four Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Awards.
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Majid Salehi
- Occupations
- film directorfilm produceractortelevision actorwriter
- Biography
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Majid Salehi is an Iranian actor, screenwriter and producer. He has received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh and a Hafez Award, in addition to nominations for four Hafez Awards, an Iran Cinema Celebration Award and an Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award.
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Iraj Tahmasb
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in theatre
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorfilm directortelevision presenteractor
- Biography
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Iraj Tahmasb is an Iranian actor, screenwriter, and director of TV series and films. He is best known for co-creating of popular puppet character, Kolah Ghermezi.
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Hossein Fatemi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hossein Fatemi was an Iranian scholar. A close associate of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, he proposed nationalization of Iranian oil and gas assets. Initially a journalist, he served as minister of foreign affairs from 1951 to 1953. After the 1953 coup d'état toppled the government of Mosaddegh, Fatemi was arrested, tortured, and convicted by a military court of "treason against the Shah", and executed by a firing squad.
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Mehdi Soltani
- Occupations
- film directorsingeractor
- Biography
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Mehdi Soltani or Mehdi Soltani Sarvestani is an Iranian actor born on 23 August 1971 in Shiraz, Iran.
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Azita Hajian
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Azita Hajian is an Iranian actress.
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Mina Sadati
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in graphics
- Occupations
- actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Mina Sadati is an Iranian actress. She is best known for her role as Leila in Loneliness of Leila (2015).
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Mohammad Javad Bahonar
- Occupations
- teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Mohammad-Javad Bahonar was a Shia Iranian theologian and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Iran for less than one month in August 1981. Bahonar and other members of Mohammad-Ali Rajai's government were assassinated by Mujahideen-e Khalq.
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Parviz Sabeti
- Occupations
- intelligence officer
- Biography
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Parviz Sabeti is an Iranian lawyer, former SAVAK top deputy under the regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Born in Sang-e Sar, Semnan Province. Sabeti received a law degree from the University of Tehran and joined the SAVAK, Iran's intelligence agency in Shah's regime, in 1957, and quickly rose to become the acting director of the SAVAK's so-called third division, the Division of Surveillance and Pursuit, and later became its director.
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Farimah Farjami
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Farimah Farjami was an Iranian actress. She received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh for The Last Act (1991). Her acting in films, especially in independent women's dramas, was repeatedly praised by critics. She was often referred to as one of the leading actors of her generation.
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Abbas Amir-Entezam
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Abbas Amir-Entezam was an Iranian politician who served as deputy prime minister in the Interim Cabinet of Mehdi Bazargan in 1979. In 1981 he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of spying for the U.S., a charge critics suggest was a cover for retaliation against his early opposition to theocratic government in Iran. He was "the longest-held political prisoner in the Islamic Republic of Iran". According to Fariba Amini, as of 2006, he had "been in jail for 17 years." In July 2018, he died while serving his life sentence, serving more than 38 years as a political prisoner.
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Saeed Hajjarian
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Saeed Hajjarian is an Iranian reformist political strategist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and former intelligence officer. He was a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to the president Mohammad Khatami. On 12 March 2000, he was shot in the face by an assailant and severely disabled, an act many Iranians believe was in retaliation for his help in uncovering the chain murders of Iran and his significant help to the Iranian reform movement in general, according to the BBC.
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Abbas Maroufi
- Occupations
- booksellershort story writerwriterplaywrightteacher
- Biography
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Abbas Maroufi was an Iranian novelist and journalist. His most famous novel is Symphony of the Dead.
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Farrokhroo Parsa
- Occupations
- politicianphysician
- Biography
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Farrokhroo Parsa was an Iranian physician, educator, and parliamentarian.
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Esmaeel Mehrabi
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Esmail Mehrabi is an Iranian actor who is best known for his roles in Sarbadars (1983–1984), Nightingales (1988), Courtship (1989), Green House (1996), and My Favourite Cake (2024).
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Parviz Sayyad
- Occupations
- screenwriterplaywrighttelevision directorfilm directordirector
- Biography
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Parviz Sayyad is an Iranian-born celebrated actor, director and screenwriter of Iranian cinema. He was one of the earliest television stars in Iran.
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Simin Behbahani
- Occupations
- lyricistwritersongwriterpoet
- Biography
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Simin Behbahani, her surname also appears as Bihbahani was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet, lyricist, and activist. Renowned for her mastery of the ghazal, a traditional poetic form, she became an icon of modern Persian poetry. The Iranian intelligentsia and literati affectionately referred to her as the "Lioness of Iran."
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Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani
- Occupations
- entrepreneurpolitician
- Biography
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Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani is an Iranian businessman and the fourth child of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former president of Iran. He is known as an Iranian "Aghazadeh".
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Saeed Poorsamimi
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Saeed Poursamimi is an Iranian actor. He has received various accolades, including three Crystal Simorgh for Best Supporting Actor, making him the only actor to have three wins in that category. Poursamimi is best known as the master of supporting roles in Iran.
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Mohammad Esfahani
- Occupations
- composerphysiciansinger
- Biography
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Mohammad Mahdi Vaezi Esfahani, better known as Mohammad Esfahani, is an Iranian Persian pop and traditional singer. He graduated from The Medical Sciences University of Iran in 1997, while learning Iranian music from the famous Iranian traditional singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and his best student Ali Jahandar.
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Jamshid Amouzegar
- Occupations
- politicianministereconomist
- Biography
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Jamshid Amouzegar was an Iranian economist, politician, and the prime minister of Iran from 7 August 1977 until his resignation on 27 August 1978. Prior to that, he served as the minister of interior and minister of finance in the cabinet of Amir-Abbas Hoveida. He was the leader of Rastakhiz Party during his tenure as prime minister of Iran.
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Hassan Ali Mansur
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hasan Ali Mansur was an Iranian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1965. He served during the White Revolution of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and was assassinated by a member of the Fada'iyan-e Islam.
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Akbar Ganji
- Occupations
- writerjournalistessayist
- Biography
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Akbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist, writer and a former member of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journalist" who has crossed press censorship "red lines" regularly. A supporter of the Islamic revolution as a youth, he became disenchanted in the mid-1990s and served time in Tehran's Evin Prison from 2001 to 2006, after publishing a series of stories on the murder of dissident authors known as the Chain Murders of Iran. While in prison, he issued a manifesto which established him as the first "prominent dissident, believing Muslim and former revolutionary" to call for a replacement of Iran's theocratic system with "a democracy". He has been described as "Iran's best-known political prisoner".
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Mahaya Petrosian
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in theatre
- Occupations
- actorfilm director
- Biography
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Mahaya Petrosian is an Iranian actress of Armenian descent. She is also a director, A Beautiful Snowy Day being her first movie as director.
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Javad Hashemi
- Occupations
- screenwriterwritercomposerpresenterfilm director
- Biography
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Javad Hashemipour Asl is an Iranian actor, film director, writer and composer.
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Alireza Kamali
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Studied acting
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Alireza Kamalinezhad is an Iranian actor. He is best known for his roles in Breath (2017), The Moment of Twilight (2019), and Abadan Eleven 60 (2020). Kamali gained wide recognition and critical acclaim after portraying Reza Parvaneh in the web series The Lion Skin (2022–2023) and earned a Hafez Award for his performance.
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Gholam Ali Rasheed
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Major general Gholam Ali Rashid is an Iranian military commander who is the commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarter and former deputy chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran who was among decision-making commanders in the Iran–Iraq War. He along with Mohammad Ali Ja'fari, Ali Fadavi, Qasem Soleimani, and Mohammad Bagheri was the member of command network in the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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Hossein Dehghan
- Occupations
- engineerpoliticianmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Hossein Dehghani Poudeh, commonly known as Hossein Dehghan, is an Iranian military officer and former IRGC Air Force officer with the rank of brigadier general. He is currently head of the Mostazafan Foundation since 2023.
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Mehraneh Mahin Torabi
- Occupations
- actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Mehraneh Mahintorabi is an Iranian actress. She gained popularity for her portrayal of Mahin in TV series, "Hamsaraan (Spouses)" and her role as Atefeh in "Khaneye Sabz (The Green House)".
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Marzieh Boroumand
- Occupations
- television directorfilm directorpuppeteeractor
- Biography
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Marzieh Boroumand is a film director, actress, screenwriter and puppeteer of TV series and films. She is best known for Alo!Alo! Man joojoo-am (1994), Barbershop Ziba (1989) and City of Mice (1985). She began her career in cinema by playing in The Cycle directed by Dariush Mehrjui.
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Jafar Sharif-Emami
- Occupations
- engineerpoliticianrailway engineer
- Biography
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Jafar Sharif-Imami was an Iranian politician who was prime minister from 1960 to 1961 and again in 1978. He was a cabinet minister, president of the Iranian Senate, president of the Pahlavi Foundation and the president of the Iran chamber of industries and mines during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
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Caucher Birkar
- Occupations
- mathematician
- Biography
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Caucher Birkar FRS is a Kurdish-British mathematician (born in Iran) and a professor at Tsinghua University.
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Bijan Namdar Zangeneh
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoliticianengineer
- Biography
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Bijan Namdar Zangeneh is an Iranian politician, who served as minister, at different cabinets after the Islamic Revolution, for 30 years. He lately served as Minister of Petroleum from 2013 to 2021 in the cabinet led by Hassan Rouhani.
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Ghazaleh Alizadeh
- Occupations
- short story writerwriterpoetnovelist
- Biography
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Ghazaleh Alizadeh was an Iranian poet and writer. Her mother, Monirosadat Seyedi, shared her literary talents as both a poet and writer. Alizadeh was married twice, and with her husband Bijan Elahi, she had a daughter named Salma. Additionally, she adopted two girls who had survived the 1961 Qazvin earthquake.
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Abbas Araghchi
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Sayyid Abbas Araghchi is an Iranian diplomat and politician, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran since August 2024. He previously served as the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Ambassador to Finland and the Ambassador to Japan.
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Rakhshan Bani-E'temad
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorfilm producer
- Biography
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Rakhshān Banietemad is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. She is often referred to as the "First Lady of Iranian Cinema" due to her prominent role in the country's film industry and her ability to merge political themes with personal and family narratives in her work. Banietemad is known for exploring societal issues through characters, who often represent various segments of Iranian society.
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Mohammad-Reza Lotfi
- Occupations
- recording artistconductorcomposer
- Biography
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Mohammad-Reza Lotfi was an Iranian classical musician renowned for his mastery of the tar and setar. He collaborated with singers such as Mohammad-Rezā Shajarian, Hengameh Akhavan, Shahram Nazeri and Alireza Shahmohammadi.
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Ali Motahari
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ali Motahhari is an Iranian conservative politician. He is also named as a sort of conservative reformist, who represented Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr electoral district in the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020. He was Second Deputy of the Parliament of Iran from 2016 until 2019.
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Nasser Taghvai
- Occupations
- photographerscreenwriterdirectorfilm directorwriter
- Biography
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Nasser Taghvai is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his TV Series, My Uncle Napoleon.
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Hossein Alizadeh
- Occupations
- musiciancomposermusicologistteacher
- Biography
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Hossein Alizadeh is an Iranian musician, composer, radif-preserver, researcher, teacher, and tar, shurangiz and setar instrumentalist and improviser. He has performed with such musicians as Shahram Nazeri, Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Alireza Eftekhari and Jivan Gasparyan, as well as with a number of orchestras and ensembles.
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Roya Mirelmi
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in scenic design
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Roya Mirelmi is an Iranian actress. She is best known for her roles in Pelargonium (2015) and Bachelors (2016–2018), the latter earned her a Hafez Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Television Series.
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Payam Dehkordi
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- Graduated with master's degree in theatre
- Occupations
- actorfilm director
- Biography
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Payam Naderi Dehkordi is an Iranian actor and theater director. He is best known for his role as Michael Hashemian in Gando (2019–2021).
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Kambuzia Partovi
- Occupations
- film directorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Kambuzia Partovi was an Iranian film director and screenwriter.
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Mostafa Tajzadeh
- Occupations
- political punditpoliticianactivist
- Biography
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Sayyid Mostafa Tajzadeh is an Iranian reformist politician and a senior member of Islamic Iran Participation Front, as well as Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization.
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Mohammad Hejazi
- Occupations
- military personnelpolitician
- Biography
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Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi was an Iranian military commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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Abbas Ahmad Akhondi
- Occupations
- engineerpoliticianeconomist
- Biography
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Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi is an Iranian politician and academic and former Minister of Roads and Urban Development, from 2013 to 2018. In 1993, Akhoundi became the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, making him one of the youngest ministers in Iran's modern history until Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi's appointment in 2017.
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Faramarz Sedighi
- Enrolled in the University of Tehran
- In 1967 graduated with bachelor's degree in theatre
- Occupations
- assistant directorfilm directorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Faramarz Sedighi is an Iranian actor and assistant director. He is a theater graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Sedighi started his professional career in 1969 with acting in "Rostam and Sohrab" theaters. He experienced his cinematic activity in 1972 with his role in the film "Cheshmeh" (Fountain) directed by Arbi Evansian. He became famous with his film "Naked to Noon with Speed" (1972) and his outstanding works include Snake Fang (1989) and "Blade and Silk" (1985).
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Ali Amini
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Ali Amini was an Iranian politician who was the Prime Minister of Iran from 1961 to 1962. He held several cabinet portfolios during the 1950s, and served as a member of parliament between 1947 and 1949.
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Mostafa Mohaqeq Damad
- Occupations
- theologianuniversity teacherakhoondwriterphilosopher
- Biography
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Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad is an Iranian Shia cleric and scholar.
