Iranian languages

The official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi), written in a script derived from Arabic. It should be mentioned that while a small number of Arab tribes exist is Iran - especially near the border with Iraq - Iranians are not Arabs and might be offended if mistakenly referred to as Arabs. English is not widely spoken outside of hotels and airports. Shopping, obtaining taxis and other everyday functions require a basic knowledge of Persian, though in a jam most visitors find that locals try hard to communicate in broken English.