Export recovery, as the return of firms to international markets after a period of withdrawal or hiatus, is an emerging topic in the literature on international marketing and export management, which is further complicated in the agricultural sector due to product perishability, logistical constraints, and institutional fluctuations. The aim of this study is to examine the drivers, strategies, and consequences of agricultural export recovery in Iranian firms, focusing on Ilam province and the Mehran international border. This research is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of method, and was conducted with a thematic analysis approach. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with exporters, managers, experts, and relevant officials and analyzed using Brown and Clark’s (2006) six-step model. The findings showed that the drivers of export recovery included internal capabilities and resources, including the experience of previous failure and the resulting organizational legacy, the attractiveness of the Iraqi market, and environmental and institutional drivers such as improved border infrastructure and government support. Also, recovery strategies included compliance with quality and quarantine standards, strengthening the cold chain and packaging, rebuilding trade networks based on ethnic and local ties, utilizing informal financial mechanisms, and institutional coalition-building. The consequences of this process were evident at three functional, organizational, and regional levels; in such a way that in addition to improving cash flow, recovering market share, and increasing the resilience of companies, it also led to double-loop learning, restoring the agricultural supply chain, and strengthening employment at the Mehran border. In summary, export recovery is not a linear process, but rather a dynamic cycle of learning, adaptation, and rebuilding trade relationships.