Minoo Island is one of the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf, located in the southwest near Abadan Airport. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Armored Equipment Unit in Abadan was stationed on the island during the Iran-Iraq War.

Historical records show that Minoo Island has always belonged to Iran. As recently as 300 years ago, the island was entirely submerged and considered part of the Arvand River bed. Over time, half of it rose above water, and over the following century, it became inhabited and developed.⁠[1] It was previously known as “ Salbukh Island”, named after a man called “ Haj Salbukh” from the Al Bu Farhan tribe who lived there,⁠[2] and its center was called “ Muammara”. The island’ s name later changed to “ Minoo” and eventually to “ Minooshahr”, with the district center renamed “ Nowabad”.⁠[3] Minoo is a Persian word. It is one of the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf.⁠[4] In terms of administrative divisions, Minoo Island was previously part of Khorramshahr County but now falls under Abadan County.⁠[5] The island has a population of close to 12,000 people, who are Muslim, Shia, and Arabic-speaking.⁠[6]

The island covers more than eight square kilometers and rises ten meters above the Arvand River. It is connected to Abadan and Khorramshahr by a 210-meter-long, 8-meter-wide metal bridge — a vital transport link built in 1970.⁠[7]

Five waterways run through Minoo Island, two branching from the Jorof River and three from the Arvand River. The islanders make their living through farming, fishing, and livestock. The land is covered with 60 varieties of palm trees, and dates are the main crop. Minoo Island is one of the few places in the world where irrigation happens entirely naturally through tidal movement. The island’ s dense palm groves provide a suitable habitat for migratory birds, and its thick reed beds shelter wildlife, including wild boar. Summer temperatures can reach 50° C.

After the Islamic Revolution, anti-revolutionary elements working alongside Baathist forces smuggled weapons from Iraq across the Arvand River, using them to carry out sabotage, kidnappings, killings, and other plots. In 1979, during Muharram, they opened fire on mourning processions held by the island’ s residents. That same autumn, Reza Bandbahhman — the first commander of the Islamic Revolution Committee in Abadan — was martyred on Minoo Island by members of a group loyal to Sheikh Makki Feisali, an Arab tribal leader from Khorramshahr who had collaborated with SAVAK before the Revolution and had served multiple terms as Khorramshahr’ s representative in the National Assembly.⁠[8] After the Revolution, this group had fled to Iraq and sought refuge with the Baath Party, going on to carry out multiple bombings on Minoo Island, in Abadan, and in Khorramshahr, killing many civilians.⁠[9]

A few months before the Iran-Iraq War began, an Iraqi signals officer named Abu Ayyaz defected to the IRGC stationed on the island. By deciphering Baathist communications, he was able to pass a great deal of intelligence to Iran. The IRGC unit on the island was also sending reports to the Abadan IRGC about the construction of armored fortifications, the deployment of artillery and long-range fire equipment, and Iraqi forces massing in attack formation along the border. Abdolhassan Banadari, commander of the IRGC on Minoo Island and in Abadan, used these reports to try to alert Iranian Army commanders and government officials — including Bani-Sadr — that the Iraqi army was preparing for a full-scale invasion.

In the summer of 1980, anti-revolutionary forces fired eleven mortar rounds from within the island’ s palm groves toward Abadan Airport. On August 23, 1980, an Iranian patrol boat on the Arvand River near the island’ s water boundaries was seized by Iraqi police, and its crew was handed over to the Basra security services.⁠[10]

When Iraq launched its full-scale invasion on September 22, 1980, and Iraqi ground forces advanced across the Shalamcheh land border, residents of the city were forced to abandon their homes and take shelter on Minoo Island, settling in the homes of local villagers. As enemy airstrikes began hitting residential areas on the island, which caused the martyrdom and injury of large numbers of both displaced people and residents, the islanders were forced to leave their homes and farms as well. While seizing Minoo Island would not have been difficult for the enemy, the Baathists knew that holding it would be costly, since local fighters and Abadan IRGC members knew the island well and would use its dense palm groves to strike at Iraqis. After Khorramshahr fell completely, the Baathist tried to build a bridge from their position to Minoo Island to complete the encirclement of Abadan. They failed, however, because of the resistance of the Iranian fighters.⁠[11]

Operation Zafar 2 was carried out on June 7, 1985, in the Minoo Island area. Iranian forces crossed the Arvand River and struck deep into Baathist positions, inflicting heavy casualties. All individual and collective enemy fortifications in the operational area were destroyed, along with a portion of their equipment. Iranian forces returned safely to base after the successful operation.⁠[12]

Minoo Island was also one of the operational axes during Operation Karbala 4 in December 1986. Throughout the eight years of war, border posts on the island exchanged fire with enemy forces on a regular basis.

After the war ended, most of the island’ s residents returned home. Mine clearance, however, continued for nearly two decades. Today, the island is one of Abadan’ s tourist destinations and falls within the Arvand Free Trade Zone.⁠[13] The Seyyed Gharib Shrine on Minoo Island is a century-old site held sacred by the island’ s residents.