[ozzymandus]

Nobody alive today gives a crap about the long-dead Persian empire except historians. I doubt the average Iranian spends much time on the subject, either, any more than the average Italian spends his day reminiscing about the Roman empire. Mussolini, like Iran's dictator Im-a-nutjob, used the glories of the past to stir up his people into a war frenzy. It didn't turn out well for anybody.

[MacDorcha]

Most of the people I've met who migrated to the States from Iran have proudly called themselves "Persian" over Iranian. Just an observvation.