Was Iran ever a sunni state ?

Yes, Iran has a history of Sunni rule before the establishment of Shia Islam as the dominant religion. Prior to the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century, which established Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion, various Sunni Muslim dynasties ruled over different parts of Iran. Some of these Sunni dynasties include:

The Samanid Dynasty (9th–10th centuries): The Samanids were one of the first Persianate Muslim dynasties in Central Asia and Iran. They ruled over a large part of present-day Iran, establishing Sunni Islam as the dominant religion in their territories.

The Ghaznavid Dynasty (10th–12th centuries): The Ghaznavids were a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic origin that ruled over parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. They were known for their military campaigns and patronage of Persian culture and literature.

The Seljuk Empire (11th–12th centuries): The Seljuks were a Sunni Turkic dynasty that originated in Central Asia and eventually established a vast empire that included parts of Iran, Iraq, Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), and the Levant. They played a significant role in spreading Sunni Islam in the region.

The Khwarazmian Empire (12th–13th centuries): The Khwarazmian Empire, also known as the Khwarezm-Shah dynasty, was a Sunni Muslim Persianate empire that ruled over parts of Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus region.

These Sunni dynasties ruled over various parts of Iran at different times in history, before the rise of the Safavids, who established Twelver Shia Islam as the official state religion in the 16th century. The Safavid dynasty played a crucial role in consolidating Shia Islam in Iran and promoting it as a marker of Iranian identity. Since then, Iran has remained predominantly Shia, with Sunni Muslim minorities primarily residing in regions bordering Sunni-majority countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.