The ecoregion is bounded on the west and south by the Zagros Mountains, on the north by the Alborz Mountains (Elbruz) along the Caspian Sea, on the northeast by the Kopet Dag mountains on the border with Turkmenistan, and on the east by a series of lower ranges along the border with Afghanistan. Higher elevation mountain ridges of the Kuh Rud and Eastern Iran montane woodlands ecoregion, which intrude into the plateau. In the north of the basin is the large Dasht-e Kavir (a salt desert), in the east and south is the Dasht-e Lut (a sand and gravel desert), and there are portions of the plateau covered in large sand dunes. The average elevation is .