Dust is one of the major environmental hazards in arid and semi-arid regions and has been intensified by climate change, increasing drought, and declining vegetation cover. West Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran, is particularly vulnerable to both domestic and transboundary dust sources due to its proximity to Lake Urmia and its location along air-mass transport pathways from western Asia. This study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of dust events, identify major contributing sources, and determine dust transport pathways across the province. Dust events during 2018–2024 were analyzed using the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) derived from MODIS imagery and the Aerosol Absorption Index (AAI) obtained from Sentinel-5P products. Satellite data processing was conducted using Google Earth Engine, while the HYSPLIT model was employed to identify dust source regions and atmospheric transport pathways. The results indicated that the desiccated bed of Lake Urmia represents one of the most important potential and active domestic dust sources in the province. HYSPLIT analysis of a severe dust event on 30 May 2025 further showed that a substantial proportion of the dust-laden air masses originated from western and central Iraq and moved toward West Azerbaijan. More than 90% of the backward trajectories were concentrated over Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Overall, dust events in the province result from the interaction of domestic and transboundary sources, highlighting the need for effective management of the desiccated Lake Urmia bed and strengthened regional cooperation to mitigate transboundary dust sources.