Iranian

• the inhabitants of the modern nation of Iran, which includes Persian, Azerbaijani, Baluch, Gilaki, Kurd, Lur, Mazandarani, Qashqai, Arab and Turkmen ethnic groups.

• the Iranian peoples are a group of peoples speaking Iranian languages, decending from ancient Aryan tribes, and inhabiting a part of Central Asia on and near the Iranian plateau. The Iranian peoples of prehistory are generally believed to be ancestors of the contemporary Iranians, northern Indians (partly), northern and western Afghans/Pashtuns, the Tajikis, the Uzbeks (partly), Azerbaijanis, Ossetians, Kurds and Baluchis.

• The term Iranian (Persian: ایرانیان) is cognate to the term Aryan (Persian: آریایی).