This study investigated the effects of foliar application of normal and nano-sized iron sulphate and zinc oxide on the response of sunflower cultivars to salinity. For this purpose, two experiments were designed. Each experiment was arranged as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included five cultivars (Alster, Olsion, Hisun36, Yourflour and Hisun33), two salinity levels (0 and 100 mM NaCl), and three levels of fertilizer application. Fertilizer treatments in the first experiment were the foliar application of normal and nano-sized iron sulphate, and in the second experiment were the foliar application of normal and nano-sized zinc oxide. A no-fertilizer treatment was considered as control in each experiment. Plant height, leaf area, shoot weight, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, photochemical efficiency, and the concentration of K, Fe and Zn in shoots were decreased and the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbat peroxidase (APX), glotation reductase (GR) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), the content of MDA, proline and soluble carbohydrates, and Na were increased at salinity. The application of nano-iron sulpate increased plant height, leaf area, shoot weight and chlorophyll content, while the effects of foliar application of normal iron sulpate on these attributes were not significant. The application of iron sulpate in either forms increased chlorophyll a/b ratio, photochemical efficiency, CAT activity, Fe concentration and decreased Na concentration. The effect of iron sulfate application was not significant on proline, carbohydrate, and MDA content and also on the activity of SOD, APX, POX and GR. Foliar application of zinc oxide in either forms increased plant height, leaf area, shoot dry weight, photosynthesis rate, chlorophyll content, the activity of SOD and Zn content and decreased Na content in shoot. The extent of increase in chlorophyll content and shoot weight was greater as nano-zinc oxide was applied to the normal form. There were no significant effects of application of neither forms of zinc oxide on plant height, root weight, stomatal conductance, proline, carbohydrate, and MDA content and on the activity of CAT, APX, GR, POX and the concentration of K in shoots. The salinity and cultivar interactions were significant on leaf area, shoot weight and SOD activity in the first and in the second experiment the interactions were also significant on photosynthesis rate, proline and carbohydrate content, K concentration and Na/K ratio in shoots. There was a positive correlation between the increased content of proline, carbohydrate and SOD activity at salinity and the salt tolerance of Olsion cultivar. As compared to other cultivars, the response of Yourflour was more evident to the application of nano forms of iron sulpate and zinc oxide. The salinity and iron sulpate interactions were significant on plant height, carbohydrate content, CAT activity and Na concentration and with zinc oxide were significant on SOD activity, Na and Zn concentration. The results show that there were significant differences among cultivars to salinity and that the nano forms of iron sulpate and zinc oxide compared to normal forms have greater effect on biomass production of sunflower plants. Key words: Sunflower, salinity, foliar application, iron sulpate, zinc oxide, nano-particles, anti oxidant enzymes.