A kolbar follows an arduous mountain path. Kolbars’ packs can weigh around 50 kg, and crossings take an average of eight to 12 hours. Kurdistan, Iran.
2025 Photo Contest - West, Central, and South Asia - Long-Term Projects

Bullets Have No Borders

Photographer

Ebrahim Alipoor

01 June, 2019

A kolbar follows an arduous mountain path. Kolbars’ packs can weigh around 50 kg, and crossings take an average of eight to 12 hours. Kurdistan, Iran.

Kolbars (border couriers) carry goods, such as household appliances, mobile phones, and clothes, on their backs through treacherous terrain from Iraq and Turkey into Iranian Kurdistan. The Iranian government bans import of many such goods to protect local production and save foreign currency in the face of Western sanctions. Decades-long marginalization of Kurds means widespread unemployment in the region, driving many to kolbari. In addition, many kolbars see the activity as legitimate, as they feel ties with fellow Kurds across nation-state borders they do not acknowledge. However, kolbars risk being shot by security forces and border patrols. 


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Ebrahim Alipoor
About the photographer

Ebrahim Alipoor is a photographer from Kurdistan, Iran.  Alipoor’s work focuses on storytelling through photography, exploring social and political issues under challenging circumstances. He views photography as a powerful medium to engage audiences, particularly in regions like Iran, where governmental r...

Read the full biography
Technical information
Shutter Speed

1/200

Focal length

24-70mm

F-Stop

f/2.8

ISO

100

Camera

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Jury comment

The jury felt that this project—shot in Western Iran—provides a rare and deeply nuanced perspective on the complex impacts of economic sanctions, offering a lens rarely seen in mainstream coverage. The photographer's long-term commitment and willingness to take significant personal risks to tell this story is evident in every frame. Each image stands on its own while also contributing to a broader, compelling narrative, inviting viewers to slow down, engage with each caption, and absorb the layered realities of life under sanctions.