The Iranian plateau in the central part of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic system (Figure 1a) was formed as a consequence of the long-standing convergence between Eurasia and Gondwana-derived fragments, especially the Cenozoic closure of the Neo-Tethyan ocean and subsequent Arabia-Eurasia continental collision (see review by Agard et al., 2011). The causes of the plateau formation remain highly disputed and the role of crustal/lithospheric shortening and thickening (

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