The Ministry of Roads and Transportation was the first government institution— after the armed forces and Jahad-e Sazandegi— to officially engage in the war once Iraq’ s invasion of Iran began. Its activities included repairing bridges destroyed by bombardment, building access roads to operational zones, and constructing embankments.

In 1922, the Directorate General of Roads and Streets was established under the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works to organize the country’ s road network.⁠[1] Road-building funds were initially raised through tolls collected from the public, but in 1925, the National Consultative Assembly banned toll collection.⁠[2] On March 18, 1930, the National Consultative Assembly approved the establishment of the Ministry of Roads and Streets,⁠[3] and Seyyed Hassan Taqizadeh became its first minister.⁠[4] In 1936, the Ministry of Roads was established to improve and expand nationwide transportation routes. By 1972, the ministry oversaw railways, civil aviation, and meteorology.⁠[5] In July 1974, its name was changed to the Ministry of Roads and Transportation; the Ports and Shipping Organization was transferred to it, while the Civil Aviation Directorate and the Meteorological Organization were placed under the Ministry of War.⁠[6]

As strikes intensified in 1978, railway and Iran Air employees went on strike.⁠[7] Ports and Shipping Organization staff also joined the strike.⁠[8] By November 1978, staff walkouts had shut down the ministry, and the Iran Air strike was still going on.⁠[9] On December 31, 1978, civil aviation employees demanded the dismissal of the military government and separation from the Ministry of War.⁠[10] The Iranian railway workers, meanwhile, distributed leaflets containing Imam Khomeini’ s statements across the country.⁠[11]

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Revolutionary Council returned the Civil Aviation Organization⁠[12] and the Meteorological Organization⁠[13] to the Ministry of Roads and Transportation.

The ministry was the first civilian body— after the military and Jahad-e Sazandegi— to directly engage in the war. It became involved in all of its areas of work, including roads, maritime transport, rail transport, air transport, and meteorology. Three new directorates were added to its existing structure: the Karbala Directorate in Khuzestan, the Najaf Directorate in Kermanshah, and the Quds Directorate in Mahabad and Kurdistan. These units were responsible solely for wartime logistical and engineering support. Other provinces provided backup to these three main directorates.

Under the Najaf Directorate, the ministry opened three asphalt plants.⁠[14] The Quds Directorate, tasked with wartime missions on the northwestern front, had relatively adequate equipment and facilities and carried out road construction, bridge building, road repairs, and similar tasks.⁠[15] In effect, combat engineering in the war began with the creation of these directorates. Minister of Roads and Transportation Musa Kalantari (martyred) issued a directive stating that the country’ s top priority was the war and that ministry personnel were required to serve at the front. Accordingly, around 450 armed Basij members from the ministry, along with station‑wagon vehicles belonging to the Iranian railway managers that had been converted into ambulances, were dispatched to the fronts.⁠[16] All provinces also sent personnel to the war on a rotating basis.⁠[17]

During the Iran-Iraq War, the Ministry of Roads and Transportation was active in the following areas:

Road construction and road transport: From early 1983, the ministry established the Karbala Roads Directorate and became involved in operations on the war fronts. By mid-1983, approximately 350 kilometers of roads were built in these areas, and about 110 kilometers were widened. Following the liberation of routes in Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan, the Quds Roads Directorate began work in early 1983 to build roads in those regions, and thirty road‑building teams from different provinces joined the effort. After operations in the Ilam region, and as requested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Army, the Najaf Roads Directorate was created there and took on the asphalting of 80 kilometers of road. Among other ministry efforts in war zones was the reconstruction of 150 out of 300 bridges destroyed by the Iraqi forces during their retreat from occupied areas.⁠[18]

When the Ahvaz– Khorramshahr Road came under enemy fire, the Ministry of Roads and Transportations built a 110-kilometer alternative support route west of the Karun River for Ahvaz– Khorramshahr. Because the Ahvaz– Andimeshk– Tehran route was also within enemy range, a new road connecting Ahvaz to Shahr-e Kord was developed. After the bombing of the Khorramshahr bridge, the Khuzestan Roads Directorate rebuilt it, and the bridge remains in use today.⁠[19]

In addition to road work, the ministry was active in transport as well. For example, as requested by the Khatam al-Anbya (pbuh) Engineering Headquarters, 100 trucks were sent from the offices across the province to the warfronts.

The late Muhammad-Hadi Nejad-Hussainian, then Minister of Roads and Transportation, worked with the Ministry of Commerce to import Mercedes-Benz trucks, which played a key role during the Iran-Iraq War and afterward.⁠[20]

Ports and shipping: With the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War, the transport of goods quickly became a major challenge for the national economy.⁠[21] Due to the need to import and stockpile essential goods, maritime transport saw a considerable increase in 1982– 1984.⁠[22] Severe damage to the country’ s two main southern ports— Khorramshahr and Abadan— required the use of other ports to fill the gap.⁠[23] Because Khorramshahr port facilities were lost, $60 million was paid in demurrage (delay fees) for ships waiting to load or unload.⁠[24]

The Ports and Shipping Organization was also active in guiding vessels. At that time, Bandar Abbas had only one port— Shahid Bahonar— while Bandar Shahid Rajaee had not yet been built.⁠[25] As a result, ships carrying maritime cargo were redirected to Bandar Imam Khomeini (ra),⁠[26] which, thanks to its favorable geographical conditions, played a crucial role in supporting and supplying the fighters.⁠[27]

Rail transport: During the Sacred Defense, at the Army’ s request, special wartime trains were organized to carry light and heavy ammunition as well as large tanks to the fronts.⁠[28] From the beginning of the war until 1983, the Iranian railway transported hundreds of thousands of fighters and millions of tons of military equipment and supplies for the Army and IRGC using 4,500 trains. Five railway hospital cars also provided medical treatment for war-wounded throughout the conflict. [31] Five days after the liberation of Khorramshahr, reconstruction began on the 100 kilometers of destroyed track on the Ahvaz– Khorramshahr line, as the Baathists had demolished all rails, sleepers, bridges, and stations along the route while retreating.⁠[29]

Sometimes, key railway bridges— vital access routes— were targeted by the enemy and then rebuilt. For example, the Taleh‑Zang Bridge was hit, and traffic stopped, but the Iranian railway personnel put up a temporary bridge the next day. Trains from Tehran would stop on one side; passengers crossed the temporary bridge on foot or by other means, then boarded a waiting train on the other side.

In another case, the Qatour Bridge on the Iran– Turkey railway line was bombed. The following day, the Iranian railway staff built half-stations on both sides, and the IRGC installed rails on low-bed trailers. Wagons arriving at the site were pushed onto the trailers, driven along a bypass beside the bridge, and then pushed onto the waiting train on the far side, allowing traffic to continue.⁠[30]

Air transport: The country’ s airports— especially those in provincial centers— played an important role in the Iran-Iraq War. Rapid evacuation of the wounded from frontline airports to treatment centers in the capital was critical; for this purpose, each airport designated a terminal specifically for handling casualties. Airports were also used to send weapons and supplies to the fronts. Because of their strategic importance, the enemy targeted them several times; even airports in Isfahan and Shiraz in the central part of the country were attacked. Except for Abadan Airport, which was under siege, all other airports in the country remained operational.⁠[31] After the control tower at Ahvaz Airport was bombed and destroyed, operations were moved underground, where aircraft were directed from a makeshift control room.⁠[32]

Meteorology: Following the formation of the government’ s special industrial commission, the Meteorological Organization under the Ministry of Roads and Transportation took charge of wartime meteorological support.⁠[33] Based on data from observers and satellite image analysis, the organization provided weather forecasts for operational planning to the IRGC and the Army. For example, the crossing of line‑breaking combat divers and second‑wave boats across the Arvand Rud during Operation Valfajr 8 was made possible by using twenty years of historical weather data for the Khosrowabad– Faw region, which the Meteorology Directorate had provided.⁠[34]

On December 17, 1983, Imam Khomeini (ra) issued a directive ordering trucks to be sent to southern ports to unload imported goods and essential supplies for the people. In response, truck drivers across the country stepped forward to clear the ports and move essential supplies. Fourteen years later, in 1997, the General Culture Council designated December 17 as National Transportation Day, following a recommendation from the Ministry of Roads and Transportation.⁠[35]

Among the prominent martyrs of this ministry were Musa Kalantari, Minister of Roads and Transportation, and Deputy for Provincial Affairs Mahmoud Tafvizi Zavareh, both martyred in the bombing of the Islamic Republic Party Headquarters on June 28, 1981.⁠[36]

The Iran– Iraq War caused an estimated 671,691 million dollars in damage, plus 317,675 million rials, to the Ministry of Roads and Transportation.

The Ministry of Roads and Transportation saw 540 of its personnel martyred, 3,346 wounded, and 909 taken prisoners of war (POWs). The Iranian Railway Company lost 253 personnel, with 1,200 wounded, and 209 POWs. The Ports and Maritime Organization had 98 martyrs, 304 wounded, and 83 POWs.⁠[37] The Soil Mechanics and Technical Laboratory Company saw 4 of its staff martyred, 51 wounded, and 8 captured.⁠[38] The Airports and Air Navigation Company of Iran suffered 14 martyrs, 185 wounded, and 47 POWs.⁠[39] Totally, more than 13,000 ministry personnel served on the frontlines as Basij volunteers.