Brief synthesisThe Lut Desert is in the southeast of the Islamic Republic of Iran, an arid continental subtropical area notable for a rich variety of spectacular desert landforms. In the Lut Desert some are up to 155 m high and their ridges can be followed for more than 40 km. Criterion (vii): The Lut Desert protects a globally-recognized iconic hot desert landscape, one of the hottest places on earth. Apart from some small private landholdings in villages in the inscribed area and buffer zone of western Lut, the majority of the land within the Lut Desert is state-owned. The Lut Desert is also on the national heritage registration list of ICHHTO.