Helmand River

Helmand River

 or Hirmand River ancient Etymander

River, southwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran. Rising in east-central Afghanistan, it flows southwest across more than half the country before flowing north for a short distance through Iran and emptying into the Helmand (Sistan) swamps on the border of Afghanistan and Iran. At 715 mi (1,150 km) long, it is one of Afghanistan's most important rivers and has been extensively developed for irrigation. A long-standing dispute between Afghanistan and Iran has centred on Iran's claim to a portion of the Helmand's waters.