ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is facing one of the world’s largest caseloads of missing persons. Ikhtiyar Aslanov, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Iraq, told Rudaw that around 30,650 cases remain unresolved as of July 2025, adding that an estimated 60,000 people are still missing from the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988).
Iraq continues to struggle to uncover the fate of those who disappeared during the waves of violence that followed the 2003 US-led invasion. These include people who went missing during the al-Qaeda insurgency (2003-2006), the Iraqi Sectarian War (2006-2008), and the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) between 2014 and 2017.
Aslanov confirmed that the ICRC “continues to follow up on many open missing persons files, including those related to the conflicts after 2014,” adding that as of June 2025, the organization is handling 30,650 open cases.
He stressed that “the primary responsibility for clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and providing answers to their families lies with the authorities,” explaining that the ICRC’s role is defined by its humanitarian mandate.
“The ICRC has no mandate to conduct investigations into missing persons cases; that responsibility rests with national authorities or internationally established mechanisms,” he elaborated, while underlining that “every family has the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.”
Gulf War legacy
In August of 1990 the toppled Baath regime in Iraq - then led by Saddam Hussein - overran the country’s southern neighbor, Kuwait, claiming historical ownership and accusing Sheikhdom of economic warfare through oil overproduction.
The invasion and subsequent seven-month occupation, which lasted until February 1991, prompted the US-led Operation Desert Shield military buildup in Saudi Arabia. The buildup transitioned into the decisive Operation Desert Storm campaign that expelled Saddam’s forces, paved the way for the establishment of the United Nations-demarcated border, and imposed crippling war reparations on Iraq.
In the aftermath of the war, the ICRC has since 1991 chaired a Tripartite Mechanism involving Iraq and Kuwait, facilitating dialogue and information exchange to determine the whereabouts of missing persons and recover human remains, Aslanov said.
He elaborated that Iraqis, Kuwaitis and citizens whose fate remains unknown to be in the thousands.
Iran-Iraq War
Before the Gulf War, Saddam in 1980 encroached on Iranian territory to seize the Shatt al-Arab waterway in southern Iraq and other oil-rich areas. Tehran launched a counterattack and eventually invaded Iraqi territory, leading to six years of brutal trench warfare and massive casualties, including Iraq’s use of chemical weapons.
Although the war ended in a 1988 stalemate under UN Resolution 598, Aslanov reports that “about 60,000 persons from both sides” remain missing from the conflict. He noted that “between 2010 and 2025, 62 handover ceremonies were conducted under the auspices of the ICRC, resulting in the repatriation of 5,324 sets of remains, including 4,213 Iranian and 1,111 Iraqi.”
However, despite the passage of more than three decades, “many families are still awaiting answers about the fate and whereabouts of their relatives,” the ICRC official added.
He further explained that most human remains left behind from the deadly war are found along the Iraq-Iran border, which was the main battlefield during the 1980s, including Iraq’s southern Basra, Maysan, and Wasit provinces.
“Other remains have also been found on the border with Saudi Arabia and in provinces that witnessed more recent armed conflicts,” Aslanov said.
Importantly, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Iraq affirmed that the organization’s role aligns with its humanitarian mandate, emphasizing that “the primary responsibility for clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons in the country rests with the [Iraqi] authorities.”
The ICRC focuses on “meeting the needs of the families of the missing and supporting the authorities in their search efforts, and reminding them of their obligations under International Humanitarian Law,” Aslanov concluded.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this article from Erbil.
Following is the full transcript of the interview with Ikhtiyar Aslanov, the head of the ICRC delegation to Iraq.
Rudaw: What are the main areas of your work in Iraq, and in which sectors do you provide services to people?
Ikhtiyar Aslanov: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Iraq since the 1980s works to address the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts and other situations of violence across the country. Large-scale military operations have subsided, and more attention is now being given to recovery and reconstruction; nevertheless, many conflicted-affected communities in Iraq are still in need of various forms of humanitarian assistance and support, including access to basic services.
The ICRC’s work focuses on several key areas: visiting places of detention to ensure that detainees arrested in connection to the different rounds of conflicts and violence are treated humanely and with dignity, they have the ability to contact their families and vice versa either physically or through the ICRC and have access to adequate living conditions and essential services; searching for missing persons and supporting their families in their efforts to find answers and cope with the uncertainty surrounding their missing loved ones; providing protection and assistance to those affected by violence and ensuring their access to basic services such as health, including mental health, water supply or economic activities; supporting persons with disabilities to access services and opportunities that allow them to fully integrate into the society; and strengthening the capacity of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society to respond more effectively to emergencies and crises.
Iraq is currently experiencing relative calm and stability in terms of its security, economic, and political landscape compared to a few years ago. In reflection of this, the ICRC is also adapting its operational strategy and approach for 2026 and beyond. This new direction strongly anchors on knowledge transfer and experience sharing with state institutions, such as Medicolegal Department at MoH and Martyrs Foundation, Emergency Medical Services, trainings for MoJ and MoI prison staff, National IHL Committee, IRCS to name few, which we support financially and technically to strengthen their capacity. This pivotal adjustment, in turn, aims at further enhancing their effectiveness in addressing the needs of the communities and individuals affected by the various episodes of violence throughout the country. Additionally, this approach intends to foster a sense of ownership among state and local institutions, to create a more sustainable and impactful response to address the humanitarian challenges and residuals stemming from decades of conflicts and civil unrest.
It is worth mentioning that the ICRC has been conducting humanitarian operations across Iraq for almost 45 years and will live up its humanitarian responsibilities in accordance with its mandate.
Do you visit prisons in Iraq and Kurdistan Region, and what is the nature of these visits?
Yes, the ICRC, as part of its humanitarian mission does visit numerous places of detention in many parts of the world, and Iraq included. The main aim of these visits is to ensure that detainees arrested in connection to the different rounds of conflicts and violence are treated humanely, with dignity and respect, and that their living and health conditions meet humanitarian and international standards. These visits are conducted in agreement and coordination with the authorities, with whom we have confidential and bilateral dialogue. I want to stress on the fact that the findings of our visits are strictly confidential and are shared solely with the authorities we collaborate with. We pursue this approach for two main reasons: a) to improve the conditions and treatment of persons deprived of their freedom when necessary, b) this approach has proven to be the best way in building dialogue and trust with detention authorities so we continue to have access to places of detentions in Iraq and beyond.
Let me mention here some of our activities that were conducted in 2024 regarding our activities in place of detentions. We conducted 69 visits to 36 places of detention, covering more than 64,000 detainees, and followed up on the individual cases of over 7,000 people. The ICRC also facilitated the exchange of thousands of Red Cross messages between detainees and their families to help them stay in touch - a total of 10,450 messages were exchanged in 2024, and around 1,483 messages have already been exchanged so far in 2025.
Additionally, the ICRC in close cooperation with detaining authorities, supported improvements in healthcare, water, and sanitation services in detention facilities, allowing tens of thousands of detainees to benefit from better conditions and a more humane environment.
On a final note, in this regard, the ICRC works closely with Iraqi and regional authorities to develop and enhance national prison management policies by organizing meetings and workshops for security and judicial institutions in Iraq on international standards for the treatment of detainees.
Does your organization oversee the file of missing Kuwaiti persons in Iraq, and do you have statistics on those found after 2003?
Since 1991, the ICRC has chaired a Tripartite Mechanism set between Iraq and Kuwait to clarify the fate of persons who went missing during the Gulf War. In this regard, the ICRC facilitates dialogue and the exchange of information between both countries within this mechanism and supports the authorities in their efforts to search for and locate missing persons and recover human remains.
The mechanism, which has other state members and observers, also provides a wide range of technical assistance, including forensics and use of modern technologies in order to facilitate the search for missing persons.
How many Kuwaitis went missing in Iraq between 1990 and 1991?
As a result of the 1990–1991 Gulf War, thousands of Iraqis, Kuwaitis, and nationals of other countries remain missing. Their families have endured years of uncertainty and anguish over the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.
Iraq and Iran occasionally exchange the remains of soldiers. What is your role in this process?
Let me tell that the Iran-Iraq war continues to cause profound suffering for thousands of families who lost loved ones during the eight-year conflict (1980-1988). Even after more than three decades, many families still wait for answers about the fates and whereabouts of their loved ones.
Similarly, the ICRC chairs a Tripartite Mechanism between Iraq and Iran aimed at clarifying the fate of missing military personnel. Within this framework, the ICRC facilitates dialogue and information exchange between the two countries, supports the authorities’ efforts to locate missing persons, and observes the process of handing over human remains.
Since 2003, how many human remains have been transferred between Iraq and Iran?
I can tell you that between 2010 and 2025, 62 handover ceremonies of human remains were conducted under the ICRC’s auspices, resulting in the return of 5,324 sets of remains, 4,213 Iranian and 1,111 Iraqi. According to reports, it is estimated that around 60,000 Iraqis remain missing from the Iran-Iraq war from both sides.
Where are most of the soldiers’ remains located in Iraq?
Most human remains are found in areas that witnessed major armed conflicts, particularly along the Iraq-Iran border, which was the main battlefield during the 1980s. This includes the provinces of Basra, Maysan, and Wasit. Other remains have been found along the border with Saudi Arabia, and in provinces that have experienced more recent armed conflicts. Here, I would like to note that often the sites where missing persons are located are heavily contaminated with the remnants of the war, such as unexploded ordinances, ammunitions, thus further complicating the search and excavation process. In order to avoid unfortunate accidents, the ICRC in close collaboration with authorities, especially Civil Defence in IKMA are conducting clearance. In addition, we provide a blast trauma course (BTC) to those directly involved in search and excavation, both Iraqi and Iranian experts.
Does the ICRC conduct investigations into persons missing during the periods of Al-Qaeda, sectarian violence, and the conflict with ISg?
The primary responsibility for clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and providing answers to their families lies with the authorities. And the ICRC plays a specific role in relation to missing persons due to conflicts, in line with its humanitarian mandate. In this difficult task, it also offers its expertise and technical support to the authorities and institutions in their efforts to clarify the fate of persons who went missing in other periods, including after 2003.
I also want to clarify there that the ICRC has no mandate to conduct investigations into missing persons cases, that responsibility rests with national authorities or internationally set mechanisms. The ICRC’s role is purely humanitarian, focusing on the needs of the families of missing persons and supporting the authorities in their search efforts and reminding them of their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure families’ right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.
The ICRC continues to follow up on many open missing persons files, including those related to the conflicts after 2014. As of June 2025, the ICRC is handling 30,650 open cases. Tens of thousands of people remain missing in Iraq, and the task of providing answers to their families remains immense and complex. I would like to seize this opportunity to clarify that every family has the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.