Contamination and Impact

Iran has said it is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, largely as a result of the 1980−1988 war with Iraq which also left contamination by cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).[1]

Mines

Iran has reported that an estimated 20 million mines were placed during the 1980–1988 conflict with Iraq, affecting around 42,000km, three-quarters of it in the western provinces of Ilam (17,000km² or 40%) and Khuzestan (15,000 or 36%) as well as in Kermanshah (17%), Kurdistan (3%), and West Azerbaijan (4%).[2] Some mine contamination is also believed to affect eastern provinces bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Iran Mine Action Centre (IRMAC) has reported that the area of mine contamination fell to 12,532km² in 2003 and in 2011 totaled 692km², including 429km² in Ilam, 162km² in Khuzestan, and the rest in Kermanshah (95km²), West Azerbaijan (4km²) and Kurdistan (2km²).[3] The extent of contamination in areas bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan is not reported.

IRMAC reports that in addition to inflicting casualties on the civilian population of these areas, mine contamination has proved a major constraint on socio-economic development, interfering with access to large amounts of arable and grazing land and social services as well as impeding the exploitation of underground hydrocarbon resources.[4]

Cluster munition remnants and other explosive remnants of war

The precise nature and extent of Iran’s ERW contamination is not known. Significant contamination is suspected in Iran, which is believed to contain cluster munition remnants.[5]

A large explosion occurred at a Revolutionary Guards weapons and ammunition depot 40km west of Tehran in November 2011, but it was not reported if unexploded ordnance contamination of surrounding areas resulted.[6]

Mine action program

Key institutions and operators

Iran assigned responsibility for mine clearance to the Ministry of Defense in 2003 under Constitutional Law No. 138 and in 2005 President Ahmadinejad appointed the Minister of Defense as his special representative for mine action under “Internal Law” No. 19.[7] A National Mine Action Council (NMAC) was also reportedly established in 2003 by the government, although its legislative basis is not known.

NMAC established IRMAC,[8] which has five regional offices (one in each of the five contaminated western provinces)[9] that reportedly have been delegated full authority to implement and coordinate mine action activities.[10] The Ministry of Interior reportedly decides on mine action priorities and on which areas are cleared before assigning the task to military engineers.[11]

Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) in September 2011 under which GICHD may provide training on request by IRMAC.[12]

Land Release

Iran’s Defense Minister, Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi, was reported by Iranian media in May 2012 as saying Iran would complete mine clearance operations by the end of March 2013.[13] Iranian media also quoted Deputy Defense Minister for Engineering and Passive Defense, Brigadier-General Hossein Baqeri, as saying Iran would complete clearance of all “leftover mines and other explosive devices” by that date.[14] IRMAC has not responded to Landmine Monitor requests for information on mine action policy, plans, or progress.

In February 2007, the Minister of Defense reportedly declared that Iran would reduce a 40-year timetable for mine clearance to complete clearance by 2011, saying, “In view of the president’s special attention to this matter, the ministry has given priority to mine clearance operations.”[15]

In 2009, Iran’s demining capacity was said to consist primarily of engineer units of the Iranian army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and 50 private companies.[16]

Safety of demining personnel

IRMAC reported 158 mine and ERW casualties in five western provinces bordering Iraq during 1389 (the Iranian year running from March 2010 to March 2011). These included 47 deminers, of whom 12 were killed and 35 injured. In Ilam province alone, IRMAC reported four deminers were killed and 20 injured.[17]

In May 2012, Iran’s Defense Minister Brig.-Gen. Ahmad Vahidi reportedly said that 71 deminers had been killed and 408 seriously injured, but he did not specify in what period of time.[18] The head of the Iran Mine Action Center, Mohammad Hossein Amir-Ahmadi, said in April 2012 that 85 IRMAC staff had been killed while demining since the center was set up in 2006, according to Iranian media reports.[19]

A French media report from Iran in 2010 said lack of discipline among deminers, non-adherence to standards, and weak quality control all contributed to Iran’s high level of deminer casualties.[20]

Risk education

IRMAC says it is responsible for monitoring and supporting risk education in five western mine-affected provinces. It identifies its implementing partners as the ICRC, the Iranian Red Crescent Society, and local NGOs identified as Emdad Zeynabieh and Maaf.[21] In contrast, the 2010 French media report claimed there was no risk education being conducted for civilians, which also contributed to deaths and casualties.[22]