This study reconstructs the temperature of the Iran over the past 24,000 years, elucidating distinct latitudinal and elevational gradients in post-glacial warming. Spatially, a robust north-to-south temperature gradients is evident; while the vast majority of the country warmed by 5 to >7 °C, the northern latitudes (35°–40° N) and highland regions (Zagros and Alborz) experienced the most severe anomalies, frequently exceeding 7.5 °C. This pronounced warming in the north contrasts sharply with the southern coastal zones of the Persian Gulf, where limited temperature anomalies to a modest 2–4 °C. Temporally, the mean temperature trajectory reveals a net increase of over 6–7 °C from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene. Far from being monotonic, this transition was punctuated by rapid, high-magnitude oscillations correlated with Northern Hemisphere events, including the aridity of Heinrich Event 1, the abrupt warming of the Bølling–Allerød, and the transient cooling of the Younger Dryas.

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