Sistan va Baluchestan is a province in Iran. Sistan is the part in the north of Zahedan whereas Baluchestan is south of the province capital. It borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Please note that the information are mostly valid for Baluchestan. Though it is unlikely that the given facts differ much from Sistan. Once you put the fear aside, you will find a beautiful landscape and great people. This province and its people is different from Iran. People are Sunnis and - apart from the big cities Zahedan , Zabol and Chabahar - still live in tribes.
It is the poorest region in Iran. There are no gas pipelines, few jobs and people in Baluchestan rural areas basically live from smuggling Diesel to Pakistan. You will see hundreds of pick-ups with barrels on its back. The government in Tehran just gives a fuck. Near the three big cities Zabol, Zahedan, Chabahar you will find people who can speak English. On the countryside it will be very hard. You better speak Farsi. Though Baluchis have their own language Baluch , it is not that much different from Farsi, so you can somehow understand it.
Baluch is a mixture of Farsi and Urdu. The people are honest and although people will tell you, they don't do Taarof, you should not take it for granted. Since this region is not used to tourists, people are curious and friendly which can resume in short waiting times. But refugees from Afghanistan are passing, too and people - since smuggling - are afraid of getting trouble with police.
Due to some attacks and kidnapping in the past and the proximity to Afghanistan and Pakistan, there are police check points guns, spikes and bumpers before each town, if not between towns as well. Most check points are run by Iranian, not Baluch people.
