A massive fire has devoured large numbers of palm groves in the village of Al-Maniouhi, located in the Abadan district southwest of Ahvaz, the capital city, amid deliberate Iranian government negligence. The result was the destruction of thousands of palm trees and tons of date crops.

On Friday, the village — home to around 20,000 Ahwazi Arab citizens — witnessed a massive blaze that led to the burning of thousands of palm trees and several homes, though no human casualties were reported.

Despite residents reaching out to firefighting units in the cities of Abadan and Mohammarah to prevent further losses, these teams only arrived at the scene late, which contributed to the widespread destruction. The lack of proper equipment and resources further hindered firefighting efforts.

So far, the cause of the fire remains unknown. However, some indications suggest it may have been intentional, particularly given the Iranian authorities’ apparent disinterest in investigating the incident. Some sources claim the fire was the result of an intelligence operation aimed at pressuring Arab citizens to forcibly displace them and seize their lands.

Palm farming and date production represent the sole source of income for these Arab families, who receive no government support. The burning of these groves effectively deprives these families and their children of their livelihood and annual income.

Hussain Hazbavi