In one of the most ancient areas of the world, warfare has again erupted, ushering in new fears and uncertainties. The history of Iran, called Persia in ancient times, dates back to antiquity, but it has often been the scene of upheaval and warfare.

Iran has steep mountains and plateaus across the center and north, with desert in the southeast. This makes the terrain closer to Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east, as opposed to the mostly flat plains in Iraq to the west and the open deserts of Saudi Arabia to the southwest. This terrain has helped Iran resist waves of invasions over the centuries, but it has not made it immune to conquest.

Iran is one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the world. Artifacts up to 100,000 years old have been found in some areas. Around 3000 BC, they became among the earliest peoples to develop writing. Its position made it a vital link in the ancient trade routes connecting China and India with Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Europe.

Between 646 BC and 550 BC, Iran fell under control of the Assyrians and the Chaldeans. By 529 BC, the newly independent Persians controlled territory from Afghanistan to Turkey to Egypt, making it the largest empire in history to that point. Attempts to push into Europe proved difficult. This expansion sparked years of warfare with the Greeks starting in 499 BC, leading to the invasion by Alexander the Great by 334 BC. Within three years, Alexander had crushed the Persians.

For centuries, Persia clashed with the........

© El Dorado News Times