The Chazabeh Pass is a narrow corridor located six kilometers northwest of Bostan, close to the Iraqi border, with a width ranging from one to three kilometers. It is bordered by Ramli Hills to the north and Hoor al-Hoveyzeh to the south. Chazabeh was the scene of intense fighting between Iran and Iraq in the early stages of the war, and it was fully liberated in February 1982 during Operation Mola‑ye Mottaqiyan (as).

Chazabeh was one of the five main routes used by the Iraqi army to invade Khuzestan. Two military roads run along it: one on the Iranian side connecting Chazabeh to Fakkeh, and another on the Iraqi side linking Halfaya to Al-Amara. This pass has a significant strategic and military importance.⁠[1]

The Chazabeh village stood at the entrance to the pass. When Iraqi troops attacked and occupied the area on September 25, 1980, the people had to leave the village. Since the region remained a battlefield throughout the eight‑year Iran-Iraq War, no one returned, and the village gradually became deserted until its remains disappeared completely.⁠[2] North of the pass lie several border posts and the Fakkeh region, while the south and east open into the Dasht‑e Azadegan. Chazabeh served as a northern entry point into this plain.⁠[3]

For Iraq to reach Ahvaz and ultimately occupy Khuzestan, it needed to cross Dasht‑e Azadegan and seize Susangerd and the southern areas of Hoveyzeh. In such a situation, the Bostan– Susangerd– Ahvaz Road was the best supply route for Iraqi forces. For this reason, and to occupy Dasht‑e Azadegan and approach Ahvaz from the west, the Iraqi 9th Armored Division attacked Dasht‑e Azadegan from two separate axes, each under its own command: one via Chazabeh– Bostan– Susangerd, and the other via Talaiyeh– Jofeir– Karkheh‑Koor. The Chazabeh– Susangerd Road was a key military axis.⁠[4]

On September 16, 1980, Iraqi forces attacked the Sobeleh border post, fifteen kilometers northwest of Bostan and north of Chazabeh. Twenty‑five members of the Gendarmerie and local volunteers resisted the enemy, but several were martyred or captured.⁠[5]

At 2 PM on September 22, Iraq tried to advance into Dasht‑e Azadegan from two directions. On the Chazabeh axis, units of the Iranian 3‌^rd Brigade of the 92nd Armored Division of Ahvaz retreated, arguing that resistance under such unequal conditions violated military principles. Although a number of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members and border guards resisted the enemy, they eventually had to retreat and the Sobeleh post fell.

On September 23, Iraqi infantry and commandos of the Iraqi 4th Corps entered the pass through the reed beds. A fierce close-range gunfight broke out, and the attackers were pushed back. The next day, the Khooshk post fell but was retaken by Iranian forces. Sobeleh was also recaptured but lost again by nightfall.⁠[6] On September 25, Iraqis occupied Chazabeh and advanced toward the Allah‑Akbar Hills and Bostan.⁠[7] They pushed through this axis and reached the outskirts of Ahvaz. This situation continued until 1981, during which Iranian forces planned and carried out a series of operations to liberate occupied areas. The most important factor encouraging military commanders to focus on Dasht‑e Azadegan— from west of Susangerd to the eastern edge of the Hoor al-Azim— was the presence of the Chazabeh Pass at the end of the operational zone. With the marshes blocking the western side, Chazabeh was Iraq’ s only supply route. If Iranians reached the pass, the Iraqi defensive zone would be reduced to that narrow corridor.

In late September 1981, operational planning began with the participation of Ali Sayyad Shirazi (Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces), Mohsen Rezaei (Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC), Hassan Baqeri (Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC), Gholam‑Ali Rashid (an IRGC commander), Rahim Safavi (an IRGC commander), and the Army’ s planning team.⁠[8]

Operation Tariq al‑Quds on November 29, 1981, liberated Bostan. The following night, the attack to liberate Chazabeh started.⁠[9] Iraqi forces fell back to the south of the Sabaleh River and launched a counterattack on the second day, but their assault was repelled. Counterattacks continued on the third day, forcing Iranians to temporarily withdraw. Heavy fighting persisted in Chazabeh.⁠[10] Once the area stabilized, Iranian forces established defensive positions in the pass, and Iraqi fire gradually decreased. To strengthen the defensive line, three berms were constructed from the marshes to the sandy terrain.⁠[11] Finally, on December 21, 1981, Iraqis troops retreated, and Chazabeh was liberated.⁠[12]

On February 6, 1982, as Iranian forces prepared for Operation Fath al‑Mubin, Iraqi infantry advanced and seized the Nabaeh Hills, two kilometers northwest of Chazabeh. Therefore, eighteen IRGC battalions that had been preparing for Fath al‑Mubin were gradually deployed to the area and engaged Iraqi forces. After fourteen days of fighting, no progress was made, and around 1,000 Iranians were martyred. On February 20, Operation Mola‑ye Mottaqiyan (as), commanded by Hassan Baqeri, was launched with four IRGC and two Army battalions. They attacked from the north of Nabaeh, defeated the Iraqi forces, and captured the hills. As a result, Iraqi troops retreated to their previous lines, and Chazabeh was fully secured.⁠[13] But the story of Chazabeh did not end there. During Operation Valfajr‑e Muqaddamati on February 6, 1983, the northern part of the region and the Sobeleh and Safariyeh posts were among the axes of attack. Again, in February 1984, when Operation Kheibar was underway, the diversionary Operation Valfajr 6 was launched from Chazabeh toward the Chilat Plain, but it did not succeed, and 400 Iranian fighters were martyred or went missing.⁠[14]

Safar be Chazabeh (Journey to Chazabeh), directed by Rasoul Mollaqolipoor, was made in 1996 and depicted the battles that took place in this region.⁠[15] Today, the Chazabeh Martyrs’ Memorial stands at the site of the pass, west of the Fakkeh– Bostan Road. In 2000, eight unidentified martyrs were buried in this place. For years, there was no permanent structure around the graves. After the area’ s flooding problems were resolved, a memorial building was constructed. In 2009, a five‑thousand‑square‑meter memorial complex was designed, and construction began in 2010. The memorial includes administrative, service, and ceremonial sections, as well as a courtyard and portico.⁠[16]