What's with this "E-Rock" and "E-Ron" business?

[mwb970]

I don't remember hearing the long "e" pronunciation for these countries until very recently. Don't they both start with a short "i"? Or have I got it wrong?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. about 8 months ago, some idiot with southern accents was

"corrected" in public on a call in program, I think it was WJ on CSPAN. An erudite, well spoken prof said, it should iRawk and iRawn. The next caller, trying to make fun of the prof began with EE rok, etc., and being proof of idiocy and inanity, it spread like wildfire through the red states.

[Skidmore]

2. Long "e" is the correct pronunciation.

At least, in Farsi.

[fasttense]

3. I alway thought it was EE-Ran and Eye-Rack.

Ok, I'm officially confused.

[KG]

4. all i know is - i ran from iran when the shooting began!