COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2025
The analysis below is based on the following EUAA COI report and query: Country Focus 2024, 2; COI Update 2024, 2. Country Guidance should not be referred to as source of COI.
Please refer to The Iranian authorities to know more about Iranian authorities as an actor of persecution or serious harm.
Deliberate targeting of Kurds at Iran and Iraq border areas by the Iranian security forces occurred. See Kurds, including Faili Kurds and Yarsan Kurds. Deliberate targeting of Baluches also occurred. See Baluches.
Security challenges leading to clashes occurred in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan (bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan) between Iranian security forces and Sunni militants as well as drug traffickers. Different anti-government groups including Baluch, Kurdish and Arab groups were active, none of them having territorial control.
Clashes with, and attacks by, Baluch armed groups led to deaths in Iranian border forces, police forces, IRGC, and security personnel. Kurdish armed groups, several of whom have camps and bases in Kurdistan region of Iraq, were attacked by the Iranian authorities, both in Iran and Iraq. Arab groups mainly operate in Khuzestan province (bordering Iraq). A direct confrontation between Iran and Israel also occurred during the reference period.
Out of the security incidents recorded by ACLED, 66 of the 96 battles and 11 of the 33 explosions occurred in Sistan and Baluchistan province, while 8 of the 96 battles and 11 of the 33 explosions occurred in Kurdistan. One battle occurred in West Azerbaijan.
Since it is assessed that no indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict is taking place in the whole territory of Iran, it is not necessary to assess the other elements (serious and individual threat, qualification of the harm as a ‘threat to (a civilian’s) life or person’, ‘nexus’/by reason of’) of the definition of serious harm under Article 15(c) QD/QR.
Please note that while it is generally considered that a civilian would not be affected by indiscriminate violence within the meaning of Article 15(c) QD/QR in Iran, including Tehran, this does not imply that Iran, including Tehran, is considered a safe area for any applicant. All circumstances specific to the applicant’s individual case have to be thoroughly assessed.
See other contents related to indiscriminate violence:
- 4.3.1. Reference period
- 4.3.2. Assessment of indiscriminate violence in Iran