According to reports received by the Hana Human Rights Organization, on Friday, May 30, 2025, a landmine explosion—caused by mines left over from the Iran-Iraq war—killed two Iranian border guards and injured two others in the Marivan border region.
The incident occurred in the Dara Nakhi area during a routine border patrol. As a result of the explosion, Mohammad Reza Hariat-Pasand (from Qorveh) and Soheyb Azizi (from Baneh), both conscript soldiers, lost their lives. Additionally, Major Amanollah Abdollahi (from Khomein) and Soran Sharifi (a conscript soldier from Baneh) were injured and transferred to medical centers for treatment.
It is important to note that the Islamic Republic of Iran has neither signed nor ratified the Ottawa Convention (the Mine Ban Treaty), which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.
The Ottawa Convention, drafted in 1997 and in effect since 1999, aims to eliminate anti-personnel mines globally. To date, 165 countries have joined the treaty. However, Iran continues to refuse accession to the Convention. According to reports, not only has Iran failed to clear legacy landmines, but in some western border areas, particularly in provinces like Kurdistan and Ilam, it is allegedly planting new mines.
This ongoing situation has resulted in significant human casualties. Based on data from the Hana Human Rights Organization’s Statistics Center, at least 10 individuals were killed or injured in 2024 due to explosions from legacy or newly planted mines in Iran’s western border areas. So far in 2025, at least 8 people have already been killed or injured by landmine explosions.
Both legacy and newly planted landmines continue to pose a serious threat to the lives of civilians—especially farmers, kolbars (cross-border couriers), and military personnel. Immediate clearance and demining of these areas is urgently required.