Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Israel, Politics, Social Media, US News, World News, Explained
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Israel, Politics, Social Media, US News, World News, Explained
This past month, Iran has been making headlines across the globe.
Not only that, but world leaders, broadcasters and celebrities alike have discussed the Middle Eastern nation - which has a population of over 90 million - following its ongoing conflict between Israel and now, the United States.
One of the latest updates saw US President Donald Trump take to Truth Social to issue a warning to Israel after announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
The unexpected update came during the early hours of Tuesday (24 June) - just days after Trump 'totally obliterated' three nuclear sites (Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo) in Iran.
Advert
The week prior, Israel - which has long considered Iran a threat - launched unprecedented strikes across Iran after accusing the nation of developing nuclear weapons - claims which have not been backed by any credible proof, sparking the two countries to become locked in a back-and-forth strike exchange.
Now, you'd think that with all this news coverage reaching all corners of the earth, people by now would have at the very least learnt how to pronounce 'Iran' - but it's that's far from the case.
Instead, a load of reporters and politicians - many of which are American - have been pronouncing the country's name 'eye ran' instead of the correct pronunciation of 'ee-rahn' or 'ee-ron'- despite the fact the latter is no harder for English speakers to say than the former.
'Iran', rather than 'Persia', has been used since 1935 when military officer and former Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi, requested that foreign diplomats refer to the country by its endonym.
And, with 'Iran' in use for nearly a century, there is no excuse for today’s politicians not to be fully aware of the correct pronunciation and to take the care and time to use it consistently.
It's clear people of the internet agree, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts.
One X user penned: "You can tell a lot about a person by the way they pronounce Iran."
"The way you pronounce Iran tells me all I need to know about your politics," agreed a second while a third chimed in: "Those of you [who] pronounce Iran as 'Eye-ran', I am going to judge you..."
And a fourth pleaded: "Can this be the year that y’all finally pronounce Iran and Iraq correctly at least."
Another wrote: "I've lost count of the number of times I've heard US commentators, presenters and politicians pronounce Iran as 'eye-ran', but let's just say my ears are bleeding."
And a final X user added: "We’re in strange unprecedented times where social media has given some of the biggest idiots the confidence to speak on Middle Eastern politics as they continue to pronounce Iran as 'I ran', Iraq as 'I rack', and Qatar like 'guitar' but with a k I genuinely can’t take it anymore."