Freedom of religion in Iran

Freedom of religion in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is marked by Iranian culture, major religion and politics. The Constitution of Iran mandates that the official religion of Iran is the Twelver Ja'fari school of Shia Islam, and also mandates that other Islamic schools are to be accorded full respect, and their followers are free to act in accordance with their own jurisprudence in performing their religious rites. The Constitution of Iran stipulates that Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians are the only recognized religious minorities. The continuous presence of the country's pre-Islamic non-Muslim communities, such as Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, had accustomed the population to the participation of non-Muslims in society. However, despite official recognition of such minorities by the IRI government, the actions of the government create a "threatening atmosphere for some religious minorities". Groups reportedly "targeted and prosecuted" by the IRI include Baháʼís, Sufis, apostates from Islam (usually to Christianity), and Muslims who "challenge the prevailing interpretation of Islam". In 2020, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (ICRC) annual statement described the Islamic Republic as a country of particular concern under international law on religious freedom, and the US State Department included the Islamic Republic among the most egregious violators of religious freedom.