This infographic is the first of its kind for Iran. Mines Action Canada’s landmine impact infographic reveals the extent of casualties and contamination within the country from known casualty incidents between 2013-2025. The infographic can be downloaded as a PDF in both English and Farsi. 

Iran has heavy contamination remaining from the war with Iraq in the 1980s, when landmines were used by both sides. Almost 40 years later, these landmines continue to claim victims and disproportionately impact civilians with 16% of causalities being children. The three most common activities that are causing landmine injury and death are among people going about their daily work, people engaged in mine clearance, and farmers tending livestock.

The map also reveals that landmine casualties occur on virtually all borders of the country. This indicates that Iran has used, or is using, antipersonnel landmines as part of its border control policy. Landmine use may have increased in some areas recently in response to attacks by Israel and the United States, as Iranian authorities may fear that either Israel or the United State could encourage ethnic based militias within its border areas to carry out attacks.

Iran is not a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It remains a user and producer of anti-personnel landmines. Iran is one of very few countries, including Myanmar, Russia, and North Korea, who are still actively laying landmines. Iran is one of only twelve countries still producing antipersonnel landmines.

With over 160 States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, the norm against these indiscriminate weapons is strong for a reason – decades of data reveal that 80% of antipersonnel landmine are civilians and that landmines provide little military utility.

This infographic demonstrates the importance of the Mine Ban Treaty yet again – with 648 known landmine casualties over the past 12 years, across 13 provinces, Iranian civilians are bearing the brunt of landmine contamination.