Cookie-like sweets are described as originating in 7th-century Persia after sugar became common there.
Persia, broadly corresponding to modern Iran, was part of the early history of sugar-based confectionery. As refined sugar became more available in the region, cooks could combine it with flour, fats, nuts, and flavorings to create small baked sweets. The modern English word “cookie” came much later, from Dutch koekje, meaning “little cake.”
This origin claim does not mean that every modern cookie was invented in Persia, or that ancient Persian sweets matched today’s chocolate-chip or packaged cookies. It refers to an early tradition of small, sweet baked goods. Persia is the historical name most commonly associated with the region; Iran became the country’s official international name in 1935.
A related mix-up is confusing cookies with biscuits. In American English, cookie is the usual term, while British English often uses biscuit for a crisp, sweet baked item. Both traditions developed many centuries after early Persian sugar confectionery.