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First story concerns Iran, a nation that was known as Persia until 1979. It used to be a monarchy governed by a Shah, a Persian king. But 40 years ago, that Shah was overthrown and forced into exile. And as a result of the Iranian Revolution, the nation became a theocratic republic with Islam as its official religion. One major reason why Iran has been a rival of the United States since around that time is because the U.S. supported the Shah who was overthrown.
But there are other reasons, including the fact that the U.S., the United Nations and the European Union say Iran is an official sponsor of terrorism. That's why they've imposed sanctions or penalties on Iran's economy. As the Middle Eastern country celebrates a revolution milestone this year, its military is showing off a new ballistic missile, a weapon that is said to be capable of traveling more than 600 miles. An Iranian military official called the missile's development an achievement. But the country's missile program concerns other nations around the world including the U.S. because Iran's supreme leader has called for the destruction of Israel, a U.S. ally in the region.
