The Iranian team at the National Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics was recognized as world champion for the third consecutive time after winning five gold medals at the 19th International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2026).
Iranian students secured five gold awards at the international competition, which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, from September 25 to October 5, 2026. This year, over 320 students from more than 66 countries participated in the Olympiad.
The gold medals for Iran were won by Sarina Elmpour, Mohammad-Hossein Hosseini, Hirbod Fodazi, Hossein Masoumi, and Arshia Mirshamsi-Kahaki.
IOAA is an annual astronomy and astrophysics competition for high school students worldwide, designed to strengthen ties between different nations and promote knowledge exchange. The main goal of IOAA is to advance growing interest in astronomy and related STEM disciplines, especially through general youth education, as well as to improve the development of international contacts between countries in the popularization of astronomy and astrophysics in schools.
It is expected that thanks to events like IOAA, more talented high school students will aspire to study astronomy at the university level to become the future generation of specialists in this field.
IOAA is one of twelve International Scientific Olympiads. It was established in 2006 by five countries—Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, China, and Poland. The creation of IOAA was driven by the common goal of inspiring the next generation of astronomers, astrophysicists, and space enthusiasts while strengthening international friendship through scientific cooperation.
Previously, Iranian students won five gold medals at the 18th IOAA, marking the country's second consecutive world championship title. This event took place from August 11 to August 21, 2025, in Mumbai, India, gathering over 300 high school students from 64 countries.
The 17th IOAA was held from August 17 to August 27, 2024, in Vassuras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More than 250 students from 57 countries participated, and Iranian students took first place in the world, winning five gold medals.
In 2023, Iranian students won three gold and two silver medals, taking third place at the 16th IOAA. Iran took first place in the 15th IOAA in 2022, which was held in Georgia from August 14 to August 22. 250 students from 45 countries participated in this competition, and the Iranian team won, securing 9 gold and 1 silver medal.
At IOAA 2021, the Iranian delegation received 2 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze medals, and a certificate of honor at the competition held in Colombia from November 14 to November 21.
