Andimeshk is the northernmost county of Khuzestan Province and lies at the junction of three provinces: Lorestan, Ilam, and Khuzestan. During the Iran–Iraq War, the city served as a vital logistical hub connecting the southern battlefronts to other parts of the country, giving it strategic importance. The movement of military forces, the evacuation of wounded personnel, and the transportation of military equipment to the southern battlefronts were all carried out through Andimeshk and its railway network.

Covering an area of approximately 3,120 square kilometers, Andimeshk is located in northern Khuzestan on the southwestern foothills of the Zagros Mountains, at an elevation of about 150 meters above sea level. Its northern parts are mountainous, while the southern areas consist of plains. Two major rivers—the Karkheh to the west and the Dez to the east—flow through the county. Andimeshk borders Lorestan to the north, Shush to the south, Dezful to the east, and Ilam Province to the west.⁠[1]

Human settlement in this region dates back to the Achaemenid period. During the Parthian era, the area was known as Lor, and in the Qajar period it was called Salehabad.⁠[2]

With the construction of the north–south railway between 1927 and 1938, which passed through Salehabad, the settlement expanded significantly. As surrounding villages gradually merged and the urban area grew, the city was officially renamed Andimeshk in 1937, following a proposal by the Iranian Academy of Language. In January 1957, Andimeshk Rural District became a district, and with the implementation of development and economic projects, it was subsequently designated as a city. In 1982, the independent governorate of Andimeshk officially began its activities.⁠[3]

Historically, the local dialect spoken by residents was Khorramabadi Lori; however, in recent decades, with the expansion of educational and administrative institutions, Persian has become the dominant language. Like other cities in Khuzestan, the predominant religion in Andimeshk is Twelver Shia Islam.⁠[4]

At the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, Andimeshk had a population of approximately 40,000. The city’s social structure consisted mainly of four groups: government employees, merchants, workers, and farmers.⁠[5]

On September 22, 1980, Iraq attacked Andimeshk County, which functioned as the northern gateway to Khuzestan and a key transportation link between the provincial capital, other cities, ports, and the rest of the country. On that day, the Sabzab oil pumping station, the 4th Tactical Air Base, and the Karkheh Garrison were bombed. Simultaneously with the airstrikes, Iraqi ground forces began invading Khuzestan along four axes, one of which was the western Andimeshk–Dezful. Andimeshk was of major strategic importance to Iraq: its capture and the deployment of Iraqi troops on the northern heights of the city would have severed Khuzestan’s Road and rail connections, effectively encircling the province from the north. Moreover, oil transmission lines from Khuzestan to central Iran passed through the Sabzab and Bidruyeh pumping stations in Andimeshk, meaning that the fall of the city would have halted oil transfers.⁠[6]

Iraq initiated its offensive using the 1st Mechanized Division and the 10th Armored Division. Responsibility for defending the Andimeshk–Dezful–Shush operational area was assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade, several artillery battalions, and a combat group from the 37th Armored Brigade. Alongside units of the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stationed in Andimeshk, local civilians also took part in defending the city. The Iraqi assault on Andimeshk continued until the sixth day of the war. With the arrival of the 92nd Armored Division and the 138th and 283rd battalions to hold the defensive line, Iraqi troops were halted west of the Naderi Bridge and failed to achieve their objectives.⁠[7]

Following Operation Preliminary Valfajr, the first independent battalion formed by Andimeshk forces—known as the Qaem (as) Battalion—was created. After structural changes within the 7th Division, the battalion was renamed Hamzeh Seyyed al-Shuhada. The operations in which this battalion participated included the defensive battles of Chazabeh, as well as operations Badr, Valfajr 8, Karbala 4, Karbala 5, Nasr 4, Valfajr 10, and Beit al-Muqaddas 7.

The Dukuh-e Garrison, which before the Islamic Revolution was considered one of the largest Army garrisons in Iran, is located five kilometers north of Andimeshk between two hills. After Operation Fath al-Mubin, this garrison served as a major logistical base and organizational center for the 27th Muhammad Rasulullah (pbuh) and the 10th Seyyed al-Shuhada divisions.

The Karkheh Garrison is located 18 kilometers from Andimeshk, east of the Karkheh River. It had been built by the 92nd Armored Division before the Revolution. After the Revolution, the IRGC used this garrison for training purposes. Following the outbreak of the war and the arrival of combat units in Andimeshk, portions of the surrounding agricultural lands were allocated, in coordination with Jahad-e Sazandegi Organization, for the establishment of military facilities. As a result, eighteen garrisons and military complexes were built in the area.⁠[8]

At the beginning of the war, Mossadeq Hospital was the only hospital operating in Andimeshk. In 1981, the construction of a new hospital named Shahid Kalantari began. In 1987, work also started on a field hospital, which was completed when the war ended.⁠[9]

The Andimeshk branch of the Jahad-e Sazandegi Organization began its activities in 1979. Before the war, it was engaged in agricultural, livestock, and public health projects. However, with the outbreak of hostilities, it reorganized its efforts to address the needs of combatants across five areas: engineering, medical services, agriculture, logistics, and cultural affairs.⁠[10] The first martyr, wounded veteran, and prisoner of war affiliated with Jahad-e Sazandegi Support and Engineering Headquarters were all from Andimeshk. The heaviest aerial bombardments of the city took place in 1980 and 1986. The airstrike of November 25, 1986, is commemorated as the Day of the Andimeshk Resistance Epic. During the Iran–Iraq War, about 1,000 residents of Andimeshk were martyred, 1,734 were wounded or disabled, and 147 were taken prisoner.⁠[11]