Mehran, Ilam

Mehran is a city in the Central District of Mehran County, Ilam province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

Mehran is near Iran's western border with Iraq. Because of its strategic proximity - only two hours' drive from Baghdad - the city has played a continuing role in dealings between Iran and Iraq.

In May 1981, during the Iran–Iraq War, in the Battle of Mehran, Iraqi forces captured Mehran, on the western plain of the Zagros Mountains and pushed eastward to the mountain base. Along with other Iraqi forces, they had been driven out by 1982-83.

Demographics
At the 2006 National Census, its population was 13,118 in 2,958 households. The following census in 2011 counted 14,920 people in 3,745 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 17,435 people in 5,019 households.

The city is mostly populated by Kurds with a small Luri minority.

Climate
Mehran has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh).

Border trade
In December 2022 Mehran border market accounts for 23 percent of Iran' total exports to Iraq.