Water Polo - Team Islamic Republic of Iran

General
The Islamic Republic of Iran were gold medallists when they hosted the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran. They were one of three sides to record four wins and two draws in a round-robin tournament and claimed gold on goal difference. The team returned to the podium after a 44-year absence at the 2018 Games in Indonesia, where they secured bronze on their first appearance at the Games since 2006.

The Iranian team finished second in their group at the 2018 Games, with their only defeat from three matches coming against eventual champions Kazakhstan. They then saw off Saudi Arabia 15-7 in the quarterfinals but lost to Japan [18-7] at the semifinal stage. Their bronze medal match against the People's Republic of China ended in an 8-8 draw, with the Iranians taking the final podium place after an 8-7 penalty shoot-out win.

The team were runners-up at the 2023 Asian Water Polo Championships in Singapore. They topped Group B only thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over Kazakhstan, but more comfortable wins over Uzbekistan and Thailand in the knockout stage saw them go all the way to the final. The Iranians ultimately lost out to the People's Republic of China and had to settle for the silver medal. At the 2022 edition of the tournament in Samut Prakan, they had lost to Kazakhstan in the bronze medal match.

The Islamic Republic of Iran's only appearance at the Olympic Games in 1976 saw them rank last of 12 teams having lost all of their games. The team first competed at the world championships in 1975 and made their second appearance in 1998, ranking 15th at both tournaments.