Malekshahi County
Malekshahi County is in Ilam province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Arkavaz. The Malekshahi tribe is the largest Kurdish tribe in Ilam.
History
In 2008, Malekshahi District was separated from Mehran County in the establishment of Malekshahi County, which was divided into two districts of two rural districts each, with Arkavaz as its capital. The village of Delgosha was elevated to the status of a city. After the 2011 National Census, the village of Mehr became a city as well.During the 2025-2026 Iranian protests
On January 3, 2026, during the 2025-2026 Iranian protests and 2026 Iran massacres, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij opened fire on protesting civilians, killing several in the Malekshahi County.Among those killed was Latif Karimi. His son confirmed on his personal social media page that Karimi was killed directly by government forces. Following the incident, state-affiliated institutions promoted media narratives describing him as a member of government forces who had been killed by protesters.