Iran’s IRGC Border Closures Threaten Economic Collapse in Sistan and Baluchestan

Border closures in southeastern Iran have devastated the livelihoods of countless individuals, leading to widespread corruption and igniting protests throughout Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has implemented stringent restrictions on trade and travel, significantly impacting the local population.

The Baluchi community, in particular, has faced immense challenges due to the repeated closures of border crossings. These actions have not only disrupted essential cross-border commerce but also hindered family visits. The regime’s response to these grievances has often been violent, exemplified by the tragic Shamsar fuel carriers massacre in February 2021, where numerous Baluchi fuel traders lost their lives following an unexpected border closure.

Corruption and Inequality at Official Crossings

The IRGC has established what it calls “official border checkpoints,” but these have failed to provide equitable access for local residents. Instead, they have become tools of corruption and favoritism, primarily benefiting regime-affiliated individuals and networks.

• Fuel Tankers and Heavy Transport Vehicles: Well-connected entities pass through these checkpoints with ease.
• Ordinary Residents: Individuals trying to cross with small loads of goods must endure:
• Endless waits
• Multiple documentation requirements
• High passage fees
• Frequent denial of entry

Collapse of Cross-Border Livelihoods

Once a vital source of survival and community cooperation, the cross-border trade has been dismantled. Reports reveal that essential goods such as food, fuel, and medicine have become both scarce and prohibitively expensive.

As economic interdependence among border communities disintegrates, poverty escalates and food insecurity intensifies. Families that previously relied on small-scale trade or limited fuel transportation now find themselves in dire straits.

Major towns in Sistan and Baluchestan, which once thrived as regional markets, have devolved into hubs of poverty, unemployment, and public dissatisfaction. The lack of industrial or manufacturing infrastructure has left these communities with no viable economic alternatives.

The Wall of Division

In recent years, particularly in 2025, the IRGC has intensified the construction of border walls and barriers in locations such as Mirjaveh, Milak, Jaleq, and Roteq. This militarization symbolizes the regime’s commitment to complete isolation.

The heightened security measures have not only severed economic and social connections but have also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in one of Iran’s most impoverished regions.

Growing Protests

Over the past four months, the combination of border closures and economic deterioration has triggered widespread protests in towns like Rig-Malek, Mirjaveh, and Roteq, as well as outside the IRGC’s Salman Brigade headquarters in Zahedan.

Protesters have voiced their concerns, warning that the severance of economic lifelines will inevitably result in mass unemployment and social unrest. In Rig-Malek, recent demonstrations saw participants blocking roads and igniting tires, demanding the reopening of borders and an end to the policies that have devastated local trade.

The current situation in Sistan and Baluchestan underscores a broader reality: the Iranian regime’s security-driven governance approach—which prioritizes control over development—has pushed one of the country’s most underprivileged provinces to the brink of collapse.