AN ATTEMPT TO OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY There are not many countries on our planet to which the mass media of the whole world would pay so much space and attention as the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). There are many reasons for this: the" unconventional " path of development that the country chose almost three decades ago, its nuclear program, which is given a variety of estimates, its huge oil and gas reserves, which make it an influential player in the international fuel and energy market, and the frank desire of the country's leaders to play a more prominent role both in the both in the Persian Gulf region and in the broader global context. At the same time, both in press publications and in numerous TV and radio programs, including Russian ones, an objective picture of the situation in this country and the processes taking place in it is rarely given. As a result, it is not easy for the so - called "mass" reader, viewer, and listener to get an idea of all this, and therefore to understand the logic and motivation of Iran's behavior in the international arena and the reaction of various countries around the world to it. The author of this article, an international scholar and specialist in the Middle East, has made an attempt to give a "panorama" of modern Iran based on the extensive information at his disposal, as well as personal impressions from visits to this country. Both the positive aspects of the country's development and the problems and difficulties it faces on the threshold of a new century. For several years now, some researchers and politicians have called Iran a strategic ally of Russia.1 From our point of view, this is not the case. However, it is obvious that Russian-Iranian relations are currently undergoing significant changes in the direction of improving trade, economic and political contacts. Iran is approaching the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with good indicators both in the field of economic d ... Read more