Alkaline volcanic rocks, sometimes feldspathoid bearing, appear in variable stratigraphic positions within the Eocene of the middle part of Central Iran. No magmatic zonation and no K2O enrichment in both time and space can be found in this volcanic sequence. These facts together with other geochemical and geological features of the Iranian Eocene provinces do not agree with a volcanism related to a subduction zone model. Reversely, a rift model may be applied for the interpretation of the origin of Eocene volcanic rocks and their geodynamic situation. The emissions of alkaline magma are linked with rhythmic opening of a rift zone during Eocene. A mutual contamination between a basaltic magma and a bulky palingenetic acid magma is responsible for the few volcanic rocks with calc-alkaline trend. © 1984 Ferdinand Enke Verlag Stuttgart.