Iran

Iran (Persian: ایران), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ایران Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān) is a country located in the Middle East, in between Iraq and Afghanistan. The capital, Tehran, is the largest city in the Middle East.

History
Iran has a vast history, dating back to pre-historic times. At one point in time, Iran (which was known as Persia at the time) spanned from the western border of Egypt to the western border of India. In 1953, British and American intelligence agencies conspired to topple the democratically elected President Mossadegh, installing in his place Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Backed by the West, Pahlavi was brutally repressive toward the people of Iran. In 1979 a popular, student-led uprising ousted Pahlavi and placed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in power. This ended the Pahlavi dynasty and monarchism in Iran, and instilled a new form of government that mixed theocracy with the laws of a modern republic.

Armed Forces
The Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Persian: ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران) is the main ground force of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In Iran, it is also called ارتش (Artesh), which is Persian for "army." They appear in Battlefield 3 working with the People's Liberation and Resistance.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) (Persian: نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران) is the aviation branch of the Iranian armed forces. The IRIAF operates many aircraft, many of which are American-made (such as the famous F-14 Tomcat jet fighter or the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter). They appear in Battlefield 3 fighting against the USAF.

Battlefield 3
Iran is the primary setting for the singleplayer campaign of Battlefield 3, where the government of Iran has been overthrown by an insurgency known as the PLR, led by Faruk Al-Bashir. The US invades Iran with over 50,000 Marines to combat the PLR, starting with air strikes over Tehran, one of which was aimed to try and kill Al-Bashir at Mehrabad Airport. However, Al-Bashir survived, so the Marines start trying to capture Tehran, capturing key institutions to secure intelligence about the PLR. One in particular was the Bank Mellat headquarters, where it was found out that Al-Bashir, and his aide Solomon, had secured three Russian portable nuclear bombs, and two were not found. A US Marine strike team later captured Al-Bashir, albeit he was heavily wounded due to a failed getaway via a car. The Marines attempted CASEVAC, but Al-Bashir succumbed to his injuries, dying inside the extraction aircraft. By this time, the US Marines had secured the majority of Tehran, and were close to victory.

Multiplayer
Almost all of the maps in Battlefield 3's multiplayer are set within Iran:
 * Alborz Mountains - Alborz mountain range, northern Iran
 * Azadi Palace - Parliament building, Tehran, Iran
 * Bandar Desert - Near Bandar-e Abbas, southern Iran
 * Caspian Border - Turkmen-Iranian Border
 * Damavand Peak - Mount Damavand, Iran
 * Death Valley - Turkmen-Iranian Border
 * Donya Fortress - Pre-revolution fortress/palace, Tehran, Iran
 * Epicenter - Northern Tehran, Iran
 * Grand Bazaar - Grand Bazaar, Tehran, Iran
 * Gulf of Oman - northwest of Bandar-e Jask, southern Iran
 * Kharg Island - Kharg Island, Iran
 * Markaz Monolith - Area in northwest Tehran, Iran
 * Noshahr Canals - Noshahr, Iran
 * Operation Firestorm - Azadegan Oil Field, southwest Iran
 * Operation 925 - Commercial building, Tehran, Iran
 * Scrapmetal - Abandoned factory, near Tehran, Iran
 * Talah Market - Market area, Yazd, Iran
 * Tehran Highway - Tehran, Iran
 * Ziba Tower - Luxury resort, Tehran, Iran

Equipment Made

 * KH2002
 * Type 72Z