Dust is one of the environmental crises in arid and semi-arid regions. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal variability of dust activity in western and southwestern Iran and investigates the severe dust storm event of 15–18 May 2022 using an integrated statistical, synoptic–dynamic, and remote sensing approach. The dataset includes dust indices, radiative components, soil moisture, and atmospheric variables derived from satellite products and ERA5 reanalysis data for six selected stations during 2000–2025. Long-term analysis shows increasing trends in dust-related indices (AOD, DU, and DUS), concurrent with a significant decline in soil moisture and changes in the regional radiative regime. Anomaly analysis indicates that the May 2022 event deviated markedly from climatological May conditions in terms of dust intensity, radiative components, and surface dryness. Synoptic results demonstrate that the distinctiveness of this event was not solely related to dust intensity, but to the concurrence and persistence of surface anomalies with unstable atmospheric configurations across multiple pressure levels. Relative vorticity at 850 hPa and surface winds controlled the initiation stage, enhanced vorticity at 500 hPa and a strengthened 300 hPa jet stream dominated the peak phase, and surface pressure recovery characterized the decay stage. Surface winds remained the primary driver of horizontal dust transport throughout all stages. Remote sensing analysis based on MODIS True Color and Dust RGB imagery confirmed the spatial expansion, intensity, and abnormal persistence of dust plumes. Overall, this integrated framework improves identification and early warning of extreme dust storm events.