Egypt’s place in the Round of 32 was confirmed before kick-off, although they were still highly motivated by the chance to finish top of Group G.
That determination was clear to see as they flew out of the block to establish a fifth-minute lead through Mahmoud Saber, whose first-time shot squeezed through Alireza Beiranvand’s legs and proved too powerful for the defender on the line.
Knowing that they needed to avoid defeat to have any hope of progressing, Iran were presented with a golden chance to level when the complacent Mohamed Abdelmoneim kicked Mehdi Taremi in his attempt to clear the ball from danger.
While Abdelmoneim picked up a game-ending injury in the process, Mostafa Shobeir at least managed to bail out his teammate, diving low to his left to push away Taremi’s nervy-looking spot-kick.
Unfortunately for Shobeir, he could not stop Ramin Rezaeian from netting a 15th-minute equaliser despite making a smart stop from Milad Mohammadi's initial effort.
Shobeir thought he had sent Rezaeian wide enough from his goal, but the Iranian wing-back had other ideas, turning the ball home from the narrowest of angles to net his second goal of the tournament.
After going into the break on level terms, Egypt were dealt a setback in their quest for victory when star man Mohamed Salah was withdrawn just before the hour mark with an apparent injury.
Egypt lacked inspiration in Salah’s absence and were fortunate not to lose the game at the death when Shoja Khalilzadeh swept the ball in after a deep free-kick wreaked havoc in the box.
However, an offside call curtailed Iranian celebrations before the woodwork thwarted Saeid Ezatolahi as the Pharaohs scraped over the line to clinch second spot.
Amir Ghalenoei’s side now face a nervous wait to discover whether they can look forward to a first WC knockout round appearance, while Egypt look forward to a Round of 32 clash with Australia.
Flashscore of the Match: Mohamed Hany (Egypt)