Background and purpose: Anopheles mosquitoes are of particular importance because they transmit malaria. Implementing the malaria elimination program reduced its incidence in recent years in Iran. However, in the last decade, almost an annual average of 15 thousand cases was recorded. So far 24 species of Anopheles are collected in Iran of which 8 species are confirmed as malaria vectors. Despite the implementation of programs to combat malaria, it is still endemic in Iran due to various reasons including insecticide resistance among Anopheles. 

Materials and methods: A review of published literature (1921-2015) was performed in electronic databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, SID, Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Irandoc, and the World Health Organization (WHO) web site. The search keywords were Anopheles, malaria, resistance, vectors, and mechanisms. A total of 160 articles and thesis were found from which 60 met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Anopheles stephensi was found resistant to DDT, Dieldrin and Malathion and becoming resistant against deltamethrin. However, no reports have been found on resistance in An. Fluviatilis, An. Superpictus, and An. Sacharovi against DDT, Dieldrin, Malathion, and Deltamethrin. Different studies indicated that An. Maculipennis, An. Dthali, and An. culicifacies are resistant to DDT.

Conclusion: Insecticide resistance is becoming a serious thtreat to the effectiveness of malaria control measures, this is specially crucial as the country embarked on the malaria elimination programme, therefore, monitoring insecticide resistance in the main malaria vectors in Iran is of paramound importance.