Chavibdeh Port, located 35 kilometers southeast of Abadan, played an important role during the Iran-Iraq War, particularly in the breaking of the siege of Abadan.

Chavibdeh is developed as an eleven-kilometer narrow strip along the banks of the Bahmanshir River.⁠[1] It is surrounded by the river on its northern, eastern, and southern sides.⁠[2] Construction in the area is scattered among farmland and date palm groves, giving the settlement an overall rural–urban character rather than that of a fully developed city.

According to local accounts, the name “Chavibdeh” means “liver” in Arabic. The navigable, freshwater Bahmanshir River, fertile soil, numerous fruit trees, and attractive natural landscapes are among the area’s notable features. These conditions have facilitated the production of date products, livestock, poultry, and aquatic resources.⁠[3]

With the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War and the Iraqi army’s control over the main roads linking Abadan to Ahvaz and Bandar Mahshahr, Abadan was fully besieged in October 1980. Supplying ammunition, evacuating the wounded, and enabling civilians to leave the city became extremely difficult. At that point, the only viable supply route to the frontlines was the waterway connecting Bandar Mahshahr to Chavibdeh.⁠[4] Because Chavibdeh lay outside the effective range of Iraqi artillery, it was largely safe from shelling. In addition, due to its limited military significance, it was less frequently targeted by enemy air attacks.⁠[5] Most movement of the personnel between Chavibdeh and Mahshahr was carried out by helicopters⁠[6] or by local cargo and fishing boats.⁠[7] Forces dispatched to support the defenders of Abadan were also organized and deployed from Chavibdeh.⁠[8]

Following the siege of Abadan, a number of residents were forced to leave the city. Jahad-e Sazandegi units from Fars Province and Abadan settled these displaced civilians in the Chavibdeh and provided them with essential supplies.⁠[9]

Due to food shortages on the Abadan fronts, the Jahad-e Sazandegi of Fars Province selected the Karvansara Hotel in Abadan to address the problem and reactivated its kitchen. Supplies were sent directly from Shiraz to Bandar Mahshahr and then transported by boat to Chavibdeh.⁠[10]

With the main access roads to Abadan cut off, Chavibdeh became the rear base and the link to Bandar Mahshahr. Using local boats—whose owners were familiar with the Bahmanshir and Arvand rivers up to Mahshahr—proved to be the most effective alternative for access to Abadan Island. At the time, there was no dock in the area, so the first step was to build one in Chavibdeh. This responsibility was assigned by the Army to Jahad-e Sazandegi of Tehran Province. The Army planned to use the dock to bring in heavy equipment and reinforce its combat units. Jahad-e Sazandegi’s engineering team identified Chavibdeh along the Bahmanshir shoreline as a suitable site for a heavy dock. The structure consisted of a concrete platform on the riverbank and a 13-meter-wide, 30-meter-long extension into the water, allowing loading and unloading even during low tide. Pile-driving operations were carried out, with each pile driven to a depth of about 31 meters. Despite limited resources, the construction of the dock was completed within one month.

To further support the forces stationed in Abadan, it was also necessary to build a helicopter landing strip in the Chavibdeh area, allowing supplies and equipment to be transported to Abadan via the Khosroabad Road. To facilitate helicopter maneuvers, the strip was built at the end of the Chavibdeh Road. Given the marshy terrain, Jahad-e Sazandegi of Tehran Province used steel plates to stabilize the ground. Once the strip was completed in November 1980, helicopters began evacuating the wounded and delivering emergency supplies. After both the dock and the landing strip were operational, the first convoy of heavy equipment—including armored vehicles and artillery—entered through the dock and was transferred to Abadan Island.⁠[11]

Although the dock eased many logistical problems, communications remained incomplete. Vessels entering from the Guvarin inlet and the Bahmanshir River often faced difficulties, especially during low tide, when boats would become grounded and unable to move. There was also concern that Iraq might use naval radar in the Al-Faw area to detect Iranian vessels and cut off this maritime route. Therefore, establishing a land route was seen as a way to overcome these vulnerabilities. In addition, transporting heavy equipment such as artillery, tanks, and even bulldozers to Abadan via Mahshahr was extremely difficult due to the poor condition of the Chavibdeh–Abadan Road. To deal with this issue, in November 1980, the reconstruction of the Chavibdeh Road was assigned to Jahad-e Sazandegi of Isfahan Province. The road ran from the pasteurized milk factory to the end of the Fayyaziyeh area, alongside the Karun River, and served as a key connection between Abadan’s frontlines. Because it was being built over marshland, Jahad-e Sazandegi volunteers dumped materials from local brick kilns into the swamp using dump trucks. To speed up construction, a group of volunteers from Najafabad joined the effort. After the first phase was completed, another team paved the road. The bitumen used for asphalt came from a tanker that had run aground on the Arvand River’s shore. Barrels of bitumen were transported at night, heated in kilns, and then spread over the road. Of the 30 kilometers of road constructed, 17 kilometers were paved with cold asphalt. The project was finally completed in January 1981.⁠[12]

In February 1986, Chavibdeh Port once again played a major role by supplying ammunition, transporting wounded soldiers, moving military personnel and displaced civilians from war zones, supporting troop movements to Al-Faw, and providing medical supplies and hospital equipment. These efforts were critical to the success of Operation Valfajr 8. During the operation, the Fatemeh Zahra (sa) Hospital was built in Chavibdeh and served as a treatment center for wounded forces. Following the Iranians’ success in Operation Valfajr 8, the enemy retaliated for the losses it had suffered in this area by launching a chemical attack on Chavibdeh.⁠[13]

After the war, Chavibdeh was officially designated as a city on November 27, 2007.⁠[14] According to the 2016 national census, the city’s population was 7,906 (2,100 households).⁠[15]