The Iran-Iraq boundary, actual contours of which were fixed by the Constantinopol Protocol of 1913 and the “complex of treaties” of 1975, has a length of 1458 km. Being the longest part of state boundaries for both Iran and Iraq it has significant diversity in natural factors including mountains, foothills, forests, rivers and marshy areas. This diversity conditions different degrees of vulnerability of the border in its particular sectors and requires different strategies for its defense. The article deals with geomorpholigical peculiarities of border regions in ostans of Ilam, Kermanshah and Kurdistan specifying some most substantial problems of border control. Special attention is paid to Iran-Iraq cooperation in the field of common borders’s protection which can play a significant role in increasing its barrier function. The author comes to the conclusion that in the medium term one can cautiously predict an increase in the security level of the Iran-Iraq border. However, the realization of such a plan will depend both on Iran’s diplomatic efforts to control Iraq’s compliance with its obligations and on its ability to provide rather substantial investments in further strengthening border security in its own territory.
Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Iraq, Iran-Iraq boundary, Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan