This is an alphabetic list of notable people from Iran or its historical predecessors.
- Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran
- Ebrahim Raisi, former president of Iran, former Chief Justice of Iran. Died in a famous helicopter crash.
- Hassan Rouhani, former president of Iran (2013–2021)
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former president of Iran (2005–2013)
- Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former politician
- Qasem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force
- Ali Larijani, former Speaker of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020.
- Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, former Mayor of Tehran, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Ali Dizaei, senior officer in the London Metropolitan Police
- Anousheh Ansari, first female space tourist in the world, telecommunication entrepreneur and namesake of the Ansari X Prize
- Bahar Soomekh, Iranian-American actor
- Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of London-based children's charity Kids Company
- Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah of Iran, crown prince in exile.
- Shirin Ebadi, recipient of 2003 Nobel Peace Prize
- Akbar Ganji, Iranian journalist and writer. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident".
Painters, illustrators and sculptors
Dancers and choreographers
Models, beauty pageant
- Nazanin Afshin-Jam, actress, singer-songwriter, human-rights activist; Miss World 2003 first runner-up; Miss Canada 2003
- Ramona Amiri, Miss Canada 2005
- Sahar Biniaz (born 1985), Miss Universe Canada 2012
- Aylar Lie (born 1984), Iranian-born Norwegian actress, model, singer, former pornographic actress
- Shermine Shahrivar, Miss Europe 2005
- Samantha Tajik (born 1983), Miss Universe Canada 2008
Filmmakers
- Abbas Kiarostami, director of Taste of Cherry
- Abdolhossein Sepanta
- Hassan Hajgozar
- Abolfazl Jalili
- Ali Ardekani
- Ali Hatami
- Ali Sajadi Hoseini
- Amir Naderi
- Asghar Farhadi, director of A Separation
- Babak Payami
- Bahman Farman-Ara
- Bahman Ghobadi, director of A Time for Drunken Horses
- Bahman Maghsoudlou
- Bahram Beizai
- Behrooz Gharibpoor
- Daryush Shokof
- Darius Khondji
- Darius Mehrjui
- Desiree Akhavan, director of Appropriate Behavior
- Ebrahim Hatamikia
- Emud Mokhberi, Academy Award-nominated director and animator
- Esma'il Kooshan
- Houman Seyyedi
- Iraj Ghaderi
- Jafar Panahi, director of The Circle
- Kamal Tabrizi
- Kami Asgar
- Kamran Shirdel
- Kamshad Kooshan
- Khosrow Sinai
- Kiarash Anvari
- Kiumars Pourahmad
- Mahdi Bemani Naeini
- Majid Majidi, director of Children of Heaven
- Masoud Kimiai
- Mehran Modiri
- Mohsen Makhmalbaf, director of Kandahar
- Mostafa Keshvari
- Nasser Taghvai
- Nima Asgari
- Parviz Kimiavi
- Hossein Rajabian, director of The Upside-down Triangle
- Parviz Nouri
- Shabnam Rezaei
- Parviz Shahbazi
- Parviz Sayyad
- Bob Yari, Iranian-born American film producer
- Pouran Derakhshandeh, award-winning film director and producer
- Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
- Ramin Farahani
- Rasoul Mollagholipour
- Reza Badiyi
- Sadaf Foroughi
- Samira Makhmalbaf, director of At Five in the Afternoon
- Samuel Khachikian
- Sohrab Shahid-Sales
- Saeed Roustayi
- Tina Gharavi
Theatre and stage directors
Classical
Iranian classical traditional
Pop
(Sorted according to the first letter of the name)
News anchors
- Adel Ferdosipour, football announcer, Navad program
- Ali Akbar Abdolrashidi, correspondent, commentator, anchorman
- Mehrdad Kia, T.V. and Radio Broadcaster and executive producer in television and music industry.
- Alireza Jafarzadeh, Foreign Affairs Analyst, Fox News
- Asieh Namdar, news anchor at CNN
- Christiane Amanpour, television journalist, CNN
- Fereydoun Farrokhzad, TV personality and opposition figure
- Jian Ghomeshi, musician, writer, and former CBC radio broadcaster
- Maryam Namazi, news anchor at Al Jazeera (English section)
- Reza Fazeli, actor, film director and opposition figure
- Rudi Bakhtiar, news anchor, formerly with CNN and Fox News
This list excludes royalty, which can be accessed by the main article link above.
Historical
- Cyrus the Great, Iranian emperor and the founder of Iran
- Darius the Great, Iranian emperor
- Mithridates I of Parthia, Iranian emperor
- Ismail I, Iranian king
- Fazlollah Noori, conservative clergy opposing Constitutionalists; hanged
- Ghaem Magham Farahani, prime minister
- Hassan-e-Sabbah, sectarian political leader
- Kaveh the Blacksmith, mythical leader and liberator against the rule of Zahhak, an Arab king
- Mahmud Khan Puladeen, senior military general
- Maziar, son of Karan; leader of the Persian uprising against Arabs
- Mirza Kuchek Khan, constitutionalist leader of Guilan
- Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi, Nader Shah's Chief Minister
- Mirza Reza Kermani, assassinated Nasereddin Shah
- Mohammad Khiabani, popular leader during Constitutionalist Revolution
- Mohammad Mossadegh, prime minister
- Mostowfi ol-Mamalek, prime minister
- Nosrat Dowleh Firouz Mirza, provincial governor
- Safi-ad-din Ardabili, spiritual founder of Safavid dynasty
- Sattar Khan, constitutionalist leader
- Heshmat Taleqani, Jangali leader and ally of Mirza Kuchek Khan
Modern (post-Qajar)
Pahlavi period
- Abdol Hossein Hamzavi, Iranian diplomat, author and representative to the United Nations
- Abdol Karim Ayadi, personal physician to Reza Pahlavi
- Ali Akbar Davar, minister, and founder of Iran's modern judiciary system
- Ali Akbar Siassi, Chancellor of Tehran University
- Ali Gholi Ardalan, Iranian ambassador to the US, West Germany and the USSR
- Amanullah Jahanbani, senior military leader, and father-in-law of Christiane Amanpour's father
- Amir Abdollah Tahmasebi, military leader
- Ardeshir Zahedi
- Bahram Aryana, military commander
- Ahmad Ahmadi, prison interrogator
- Farokhroo Parsa, minister of education
- George Malek-Yonan, procured a seat in Iran's Parliament for Assyrians as a recognized minority
- Hasan Arfa, Army General, Ambassador to Russia, Ambassador to Turkey
- Hassan Modarres, member of Parliament
- Hassan Pakravan, head of SAVAK
- Heidar Arfaa, Conseiller d'État, Minister of Agriculture, Député-Majlis Fars Province
- Hossein Fardoust, deputy head of SAVAK
- Hossein Fatemi, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Hushang Ansary, Minister of Finance, President of NIOC
- Karim Buzarjomehri, Army General military aide of Reza Shah, Mayor of Tehran
- Mahmoud Jafarian, head of National Iranian Radio and Television and Pars News Agency
- Mahmoud Khayami, industrialist
- Mahmud Mahmud, politician
- Manucher Mirza Farman Farmaian, director of sales for NIOC and Ambassador to Venezuela
- Mohammad Ali Keshavarz Sadr, Mossadegh's Deputy and a leader of the Second National Front
- Nader Jahanbani, air force general, pilot
- Nasser Moghaddam, head of SAVAK
- Nematollah Nassiri, head of SAVAK
- Abbas Mirza Farman Farmaian, Minister of Parliament
- Sattareh Farman Farmaian, established first social worker schools in Iran
- Sepahbod Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi, military leader
- Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee
- Shapour Bakhtiar, prime minister
- Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiari
- Teymour Bakhtiar, head of SAVAK
- Abdolhossein Teymourtash, Iranian statesman
- Mirza Javad Khan Ameri, Minister, MP
Served in Islamic Republic government
- Abdolkarim Mousavi-Ardabili
- Abdollah Noori, minister of interior
- Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, government spokesman
- Abdolvahed Mousavi-Lari, minister of interior
- Abolhassan Banisadr, president
- Ahmad Jannati, chair of Council of Guardians
- Ahmad Khatami
- Ahmad Khomeini
- Ahmad Tavakkoli, minister of labour
- Akbar Torkan, minister of roads and transportation
- Ala'eddin Boroujerdi, member of parliament
- Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, president
- Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, member of parliament
- Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, speaker of parliament
- Ali Akbar Salehi
- Ali Fallahian, minister of intelligence
- Ali Khamenei, supreme leader
- Ali Larijani, president of IRIB
- Ali Meshkini, chair of Assembly of Experts
- Ali Movahhedi-Kermani
- Ali Shamkhani, minister of defence
- Ali Younessi, minister of information
- Alireza Noori, member of parliament
- Asadollah Lajevardi
- Ata’allah Hakimi [fa]
- Ata'ollah Mohajerani, minister of culture and Islamic guidance
- Ayatollah Amini, deputy chair of Assembly of Experts
- Ayatollah Mohammadi-Gilani
- Ayatollah Sane'i
- Ayatollah Va'ez-Tabasi
- Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi
- Behzad Nabavi, vice speaker of parliament
- Bizhan Namdar-Zangeneh, minister of oil
- Ebrahim Asgharzadeh
- Ebrahim Yazdi, foreign minister of interim government
- Elaheh Koulai, member of parliament
- Emad Afrough, member of parliament
- Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, member of parliament
- Fatemeh Haghighatjou, member of parliament
- Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, speaker of parliament
- Gholam Hossein Elham
- Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, minister of intelligence
- Habiballah Dahamardeh [fa]
- Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri
- Hadi Khamenei, member of parliament
- Hamid Reza Assefi, foreign affairs spokesman
- Hassan Habibi, first vice president
- Hassan Rouhani, former president
- Hojjatallah Firouzi [fa]
- Hossein Shariatmadari
- Iraj Fazel, minister of health
- Izzatallah Akbari Talarpashti [fa]
- Ezzatollah Zarghami, president of IRIB
- Kamal Daneshyar, member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Kamal Kharrazi, minister of foreign affairs
- Kazem Jalali, politician
- Kazem Rajavi, politician
- Kazem Seddiqi, politician
- Lotfollah Forouzandeh (born 1961) Iranian Politician
- Lotfallah Siahkali [fa]
- Lotfallah Zara’i Qanawati [fa]
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former president
- Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, former chief justice
- Majid Ansari, member of parliament
- Manuchehr Eliasi, Jewish member of parliament
- Masoud Pezeshkian, minister of health
- Masoumeh Ebtekar, vice president
- Mehdi Bazargan, prime minister
- Mehdi Hashemi
- Mehdi Karroubi, speaker of parliament
- Mir-Hossein Mousavi, prime minister
- Mohammad Abaee-Khorasani, member of parliament
- Mohammad Ali Abtahi, vice president
- Mohammad Ali Najafi, minister of education
- Mohammad Ali Rajai, president
- Mohammad Beheshti, head of judiciary
- Mohammad Emami-Kashani
- Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani
- Mohammad Javad Bahonar, prime minister
- Mohammad Javad Larijani, member of parliament
- Mohammad Khatami, president
- Mohammad Reyshahri
- Mohammad Reza Aref, first vice president
- Mohammad Reza Bahonar, vice speaker of parliament
- Mohammad Reza Khatami, deputy speaker of parliament
- Mohammad Reza Mahdavi-Kani
- Mohammad Sattarifar, vice president
- Mohammad Yazdi, head of judiciary
- Mohsen Armin, member of parliament
- Mohsen Mirdamadi, member of parliament
- Mohsen Nourbakhsh, head of Central Bank of Iran
- Mohsen Rezaee, member of Expediency Discernment Council
- Mohsen Safaee-Farahani, member of parliament and head of Iranian Football Federation
- Mohseni-Ezhe'i
- Moin al-Din Saeedi [fa]
- Morteza Motahhari
- Mostafa Chamran, Minister of Defense
- Mostafa Tajzadeh, deputy minister of interior
- Nasrollah Jahangard, chair of Supreme Council of ICT
- Nimatallah Manuchehri [fa], Iranian Politician
- Qodratallah Hamzeh [fa], Iranian politician
- Qodratallah Hussaynipour [fa], Iranian Politician
- Qodratallah Imani [fa]
- Qodratallah Intazami [fa], Iranian politician
- Ghodratollah Norouzi, Iranian politician
- Rahim Safavi
- Rahmatallah Firouzi Pourbadi [fa]
- Rasoul Montajebnia, member of parliament
- Ruhallah Abbaspour [fa], Iranian Politician
- Ruhallah Baba’i Saleh [fa]
- Ruhallah Hazratpour Talahieh [fa]
- Ruhollah Hosseinian
- Ruhallah Izadkhahzadeh [fa]
- Ruhollah Khomeini, supreme leader, founder of the Islamic Republic
- Ruhallah Motfikar Azad [fa]
- Ruhallah Najabat [fa]
- Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, minister of foreign affairs
- Sadegh Khalkhali, Sharia ruler
- Sadegh Larijani
- Saeed Emami, vice minister of intelligence
- Saeed Hajjarian, Tehran council member
- Saeed Mortazavi
- Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli, head of Central Bank of Iran, Ambassador to United Kingdom
- Waliallah Farzanah [fa], Iranian Politician
- Zabihallah Azami Sardoui [fa], Iranian Politician
- Zia-Allah Ezazi Maleki, Iranian Politician
Not served in Islamic Republic government or opposition
Politicians in other nations
- Goli Ameri, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
- Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan; half-Iranian (mother Nusrat Bhutto)
- Nusrat Bhutto, former first lady of Pakistan
- Jimmy Delshad, mayor of Beverly Hills, California
- George Deukmejian, former Governor of California
- Dan Halutz, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces
- Saadat Khan, first Nawab of Oudh in India
- Farah Karimi, Iranian female Dutch Member of Parliament[2]
- Moshe Katsav, former President of Israel
- Tahia Kazem, former first lady of Egypt, wife of President Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Omid Nouripour, member of the German parliament (Bundestag), Germany
- Ross Mirkarimi, former member of San Francisco City Council from Green Party; American of Iranian and Russian descent.
- Reza Moridi, member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada
- Shaul Mofaz, Israeli Minister of Transport and a Deputy Prime Minister, and former Minister of Defense
- Wajid Ali Shah, last Nawab of Oudh, disposed of by the British East India Company
- Maryam Yazdanfar, member of the Swedish parliament (Riksdag), Sweden
Prisoners and detainees
- Zahra Bani Ameri (1980–2007), physician, died in a prison in Hamedan after being arrested for breaching modesty laws by sitting in a park with her fiancée.
- Zahra Amir Ebrahimi (born 1981), photographer, television actress, subject of a 2006 sex tape scandal in Iran
- Zeynab Jalaliyan, Kurdish prisoner
- Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, who according to the medical examiner was raped, tortured and killed by Iranian officials following her arrest in Iran.
- Hossein Rajabian, imprisoned filmmaker
- Nasser Fahimi, a doctor from Kurdistan, a political and ideological prisoner
- Mehdi Rajabian, imprisoned musician
Authors and poets
- Adam Khaze, author, researcher
- Jamshid Behnam, author
- Allameh Dehkhoda, author
- Mahyar Amouzegar, author, academic
- Badiozzaman Forouzanfar, author
- Mohammad-Taqi Bahar, author
- Jalal Homaei, author
- Parviz Natel-Khanlari, author
- Sadeq Hedayat, author
- Shahrokh Meskoob, author
- Saeed Shamloo [fa], academic, author
- Ali Abdolrezaei, author
- Parirokh Dadsetan [fa], academic, author
- Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub, author
- Haraton Davidian [fa], academic, author
- Levon Davidian, academic, author
- Heidarali Hooman [fa], academic, author
- Saeed Nafisi, author
- Aliakbar ShoariNezhad [fa], academic, author
- Mirtaghi Garousi Farshi, academic, author
- Seyed Amir Mirbagheri, academic, author
- Abbas Shafiee, academic, author
- Nastaran Nafisi-Varcheh, academic, author
- Karim Taie, academic, author
- Mohammad Moin, author
- Alireza Norouzi, academic, author[3][4][5]
- Abolghasem Ghasemi, academic, author
- Ahmad Kasravi, author
- Gholamreza Sarabi, academic, author
- Karim Emami, author
- Mehdi Khanbani, academic, author
- Mohammad-Ali Jamalzadeh
- Sadeq Hedayat
- Nazi Safavi
- Mahmoud Mansour [fa], academic, author
- Shahriyar Mandanipour
- Abutorab Khosravi
- Morteza Nesfat, academic, author
- Hamzeh Ganji [fa], academic, author
- Reza Ghassemi
- Zoya Pirzad
- Mahmoud Golzari [fa], academic, author
- Behrooz Birashk [fa], academic, author
- Mahmoud Dowlatabadi
- Shiva Dolatabadi [fa], academic, author
- Hamideh Jahangiri, academic, author[6][7][8]
- Bahman Forsi
- Reza Zamani [fa], academic, author
- Houshang Golshiri
- Reza Baraheni
- Abbasgholi Daneshvar [fa], academic, author
- Abbas Maroufi
- Alireza. Norouzi, academic, author
- Bozorg Alavi
- Ahmad Siadati [fa], academic, author
- Majid M. Naini, author
- Siavash Goudarzvand Chegini, academic, author
- Mahmoud Matin, academic, author
- Bahram Sadeghi
- Reza Shapurian, academic, author
- Gholam-Hossein Sa'edi
- Ghazaleh Alizadeh
- Bagher Hejazi, academic, author
- Ahmad Mahmoud
- Jalal Al-e-Ahmad
- Kazem Amoli [fa], academic, author
- Javad Nurbakhsh, academic, author
- Simin Daneshvar
- Aliakbar Seif [fa], academic, author
- Siamak Yaghoubi, academic, author
- Ebrahim Golestan
- Bahman Sholevar
- Neda Aria, author, researcher
- Safoura Navaei, academic, author
- Niloofar Akbarzadeh, academic, author
- Sadeq Chubak
- Karim Haddadian [fa], academic, author
Translators
- Abdolmajid Eskandari, academic and translator
- Ali Akbar Abdolrashidi, author and translator
- Saeed Shamloo [fa], academic, author and translator
- Parirokh Dadsetan [fa], academic, author and translator
- Haraton Davidian [fa], academic, author and translator
- Levon Davidian, academic, author and translator
- Heidarali Hooman [fa], academic, author and translator
- Aliakbar ShoariNezhad [fa], academic, author and translator
- Mirtaghi Garousi Farshi, academic, author and translator
- Seyed Amir Mirbagheri, academic, author and translator
- Abbas Shafiee, academic, author and translator
- Nastaran Nafisi-Varcheh, academic, author and translator
- Karim Taie, academic, author and translator
- Alireza Mobaraki, academic, author and translator
- Abolghasem Ghasemi, academic, author and translator
- Gholamreza Sarabi, academic, author and translator
- Karim Emami, author and translator
- Mehdi Khanbani, academic, author and translator
- Mahmoud Mansour [fa], academic, author and translator
- Morteza Nesfat, academic, author and translator
- Mohammad Ghazi, translator
- Hamzeh Ganji [fa], academic, author and translator
- Mahmoud Golzari [fa], academic, author and translator
- Behrooz Birashk [fa], academic, author and translator
- Shiva Dolatabadi [fa], academic, author and translator
- Hamideh Jahangiri, academic, author and translator[9]
- Reza Zamani [fa], academic, author and translator
- Abbasgholi Daneshvar [fa], academic, author and translator
- Alireza. Norouzi, academic, author and translator[10]
- Ahmad Siadati [fa], academic, author and translator
- Majid M. Naini, author and translator
- Siavash Goudarzvand Chegini, academic, author and translator
- Mahmoud Matin, academic, author and translator
- Reza Shapurian, academic, author and translator
- Bagher Hejazi, academic, author and translator
- Kazem Amoli [fa], academic, author and translator
- Javad Nurbakhsh, academic, author and translator
- Aliakbar Seif [fa], academic, author and translator
- Siamak Yaghoubi, academic, author and translator
- Safoura Navaei, academic, author and translator
- Niloofar Akbarzadeh, academic, author and translator
- Karim Haddadian [fa], author and translator
- Shahrokh Meskoob, author and translator
- Majlesi
- The Báb, Prophet-Founder of the Bábi Faith
- Bahá'u'lláh, Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Centre of the Covenant of the Bahá'í Faith
- Ganzibra Jabbar Choheili (1923–2014), head of the Mandaean community in Iran until his death in 2014.
- Rishama Salah Choheili, Iranian Mandaean who is the current patriarch and head of the Mandaean community in Australia
- Haik Hovsepian Mehr, bishop and Christian martyr
- Jamal al-Din Asadabadi
- Mani, founder of Manichaeism
- Mazdak, Religious and Social Reformer
- Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master born to Iranian immigrant parents
- Hamza ibn-'Ali ibn-Ahmad, founder of the Druze
- Muhammad ibn Ismail ad-Darazi
- Mulla Sadra
- Saeed Abedini, Iranian American Christian pastor
- Safi-ad-din Ardabili
- Salman the Persian
- Zahed Gilani
- Zayn al-Din Taybadi (died 1389) mystic and Sufi
- Zoroaster, prophet
- Imam Tawhidi, Australian Iman of Arabian and Iranian descent
Historians, archaeologists and Iranologists
Intellectuals and philosophers
Technology and computer engineering
- Mojtaba Abedini (born 1984), Olympic fencer
- Yu Darvish, MLB baseball player for the Texas Rangers
- Ariajasuru Hasegawa, professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Nagoya Grampus
- Ali Azari Karki, footballer
- Sardar Azmoun, soccer player, Iran's National Team player
- Farhad Ghaemi, volleyball player, Iran's National Team player
- Abbas Jadidi, wrestler, Olympic silver medalist
- Abdollah Movahed, wrestler, Olympic gold medalist
- Adel Kolahkaj, football player
- Alex Agase, American football player
- Ali Daei, football player, top international goalscorer, world record holder
- Ali Karimi (footballer, born 1978)
- Ali Karimi (footballer, born 1982)
- Ali Karimi (footballer, born 1994)
- Ali Parvin, football player and coach
- Alireza Dabir, wrestler, Olympic gold medalist
- Alireza Heidari, wrestler, Olympic bronze Mmdalist
- Alireza Rezaei, wrestler, Olympic silver medalist
- Taghi Rezaei, bodybuilder
- Amir Abedzadeh, Iranian Football Player
- Amir Reza Khadem, Olympic Bronze Medalist wrestler
- Andre Agassi, tennis player; his father was Assyrian-Armenian
- Arash Miresmaili, judo world champion
- Aravane Rezaï, tennis player
- Behdad Salimi, weightlifter World Champion
- Bijan Kangarloo, cross-country skier
- Ebrahim Javadi, wrestler, Olympic bronze medalist
- Ehsan Ghaemmaghami, chess grandmaster
- Ehsan Hadadi, discus thrower, Asian record holder
- Elshan Moradi, chess grandmaster
- Emamali Habibi Goudarzi, wrestler, first Iranian Olympic gold medalist (Melbourne 1956)
- Emmanuel Agassi, boxer at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, father of Andre Agassi
- Ezzatollah Pourghaz, Iranian-Turkmen Football Player
- George Issabeg, boxer at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics
- George Malek-Yonan, Iran's Champion of Champions in track & field and pentathlon
- Ghasem Dehnavi, football player
- Ghasem Hadadifar, football player
- Ghasem Rezaei, wrestler
- Hooman Tavakolian, Sport Diplomat and Lobbyist, Hall of Fame, wrestler
- Hossein Rezazadeh, weightlifter, double Olympic champion (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004)
- Javad Nekounam, football player
- Khodadad Azizi, football player
- Kianoush Rostami, weightlifter, world champion
- Kimia Alizadeh, Taekwondo player, the first Iranian woman to win a medal at the Olympic Games (Rio de Janeiro 2016)
- Mahmoud Namjoo, weightlifter, Olympic silver medalist
- Mahyar Monshipour, World Super Bantamweight Boxing Champion
- Mansour Bahrami, tennis player
- Mansour Barzegar, wrestler, Olympic silver medalist
- Masoud Jokar, wrestler, Olympic silver medalist
- Mehdi Haghizadeh, football player
- Mehdi Mahdavikia, football player
- Mehdi Taremi, Iranian Football Player
- Mohammad Ali Fardin, wrestler and actor
- Mohammad Khadem, wrestler
- Mohammad Mousavi, volleyball player
Marziyeh Karimi,volleyball player and coach
- Mohammad Nassiri, weightlifter, Olympic gold medalist
- Mohammad Reza Heidarian, futsal player
- Mohammad Reza Tupchi, wrestler
- Rahman Rezaei, football player
- Ramin Rezaeian, Iranian Football Player
- Rasoul Khadem, Olympic gold medalist wrestler
- Reza Shafiei, jiujitsu athlete
- Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Iranian Football Player
- Ruhollah Bigdeli, football player
- Shima Mehri, Motorcycle Biker
- Saeid Marouf, volleyball player
- Shadi Paridar, chess Woman Grandmaster
- Shawn Daivari, professional wrestler
- Shoura Osipov, boxer at 1948 Olympics
- T. J. Houshmandzadeh, NFL player
- Vahid Hashemian, football player
- Yossef Karami, Taekwondo world champion, Olympic bronze medalist
- Andranik Teymourian, football player
- Fereydoon Zandi, football player
- Gholamreza Takhti, wrestler, Olympic gold medalist
- Hadi Saei, taekwondo world champion, Olympic gold medalist
- Hossein Tavakoli, weightlifter, Olympic gold medalist
- Jaber Rouzbahani, basketball player
- Khosrow Vaziri, professional wrestler
- Leila Vaziri, swimmer, World Champion, world record holder
- Vahid Shamsaei, futsal player, top international futsal goalscorer
- Mika Zibanejad, ice hockey player for Ottawa Senators of the NHL
- Daniel Rahimi, ice hockey player for San Jose Sharks of the NHL
- Zabihollah Poursheib, Kurdish Iranian Martial Artist
- Alenush Terian, scientist
- Andranik Eskandarian, footballer
- Andranik Teymourian, footballer
- Andre Agassi, tennis champion
- Arefeh Mansouri, Inventor, Designer
- Arakel of Tabriz, historian
- Armik, flamenco guitarist and composer
- Arsen Minasian, philanthropist, pharmacologist
- Bogdan Saltanov, painter
- Emmanuel Agassi, 1948 and 1952 Olympics boxer representing Iran; father of Andre Agassi
- Gegard Mousasi, MMA fighter
- George Bournoutian, historian
- Haik Hovsepian Mehr, bishop and Christian martyr
- Raffi, prominent writer
- Hayk Bzhishkyan, Soviet military commander
- Hovhannes Masehyan, diplomat and translator
- Hrant Markarian, politician
- Irene Zazians, actress
- Ivan Galamian, violin teacher
- Ivan Lazarevich Lazarev, jeweler
- Khosrow Khan Gorji, influential figure from the Qajar era
- Leon Khachatourian, boxer
- Loris Tjeknavorian, artist
- Marcos Grigorian artist, scholar and actor
- Mirza Malkam Khan, modernist and politician
- Mkhitar Heratsi, physician
- Mushegh Soruri
- Ovannes Ohanian, first Iranian film director
- Robert Beglarian, MP
- Samuel Khachikian, film director
- Sarkis Djanbazian, artist
- Sayat-Nova, poet
- Vartan Gregorian, academic
- Varuzh Karim-Masihi, film editor and director
- Vigen Derderian, singer
- Viguen (see Vigen Derderian)
- Yeprem Khan, revolutionary hero
- Freydun Atturaya, co-founder of the Assyrian Socialist Party
- George Issabeg, 1948 and 1952 Olympics boxer representing Iran
- George Malek-Yonan, politician and Champion of Champions of Iran
- Issa Benyamin, calligraphist
- Ivan Kakovitch (1933–2006), activist and writer (novel Mount Semele (2001))
- Milton Malek-Yonan, inventor of converted rice
- Paulus Khofri, composer and painter
- Ramona Amiri, Miss Canada 2005
- Shoura Osipov, 1948 Olympics boxer representing Iran
- Shoura Osipov, Olympic boxer
- Mar Youhannan Semaan Issayi, Archbishop of Assyro-Chaldean Metropolitan Tehran
Americans in Iran
- Howard Baskerville, Iran's first American martyr
- Joseph Gallup Cochran, American missionary in Urmia and Seer, translator
- Joseph Plumb Cochran, second-generation American missionary in Urmia and medical doctor; established first Iranian medical college
- Arthur Millspaugh, Treasury General, Persia
- Arthur Upham Pope (1881–1969) and Phyllis Ackerman (1893–1977), Persian culture revivalists, scholars of Persian art and architecture history
- David Stronach
- Elgin Groseclose, Treasury General, Persia
- John Limbert
- Justin Perkins, first American resident of Iran (1835), Presbyterian missionary in Urmia.
- Morgan Shuster, Treasury General, Persia
- Richard Nelson Frye (1920–2014), former Harvard University professor, scholar of Persian art history
- Samuel M. Jordan, namesake of Jordan Ave. in Tehran
- William M. Miller