Atmospheric circulation strongly modulates precipitation patterns throughout the south of Iran. Characteristics of synoptic types were chosen to investigate their relation to the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation within the south of Iran. In this study, we examined the inter-annual variability of precipitation in the southern region of Iran and established links among the large-scale circulation patterns. In this region, the majority of precipitation occurs during the rainy season from October to May. The study applied the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the monthly precipitation anomaly data obtained from 302 meteorological stations for the 1981–2010 periods. In most months the first mode explains more than 50% of the total variance of the precipitation. Spatiotemporal fluctuation in precipitation over the studied area can be attributed to moisture transport by dynamic factors. This study shows that the position and strength of high pressure over the Arabian Peninsula play an important role during the wet and dry years. The results show that during wet years' moisture flux in low and middle levels from the west of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red sea is transferred by the high-pressure circulation to the central, North Arabian Peninsula and Southern Iran. This high-pressure circulation coupled with the Eastern Mediterranean through over the west of the Arabian Peninsula at the level of 700hPa. Some parts of moisture flux transferred from the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in the middle and higher levels. In dry years, the anticyclonic circulation is strengthened in the west of the Arabian Peninsula and blocks moisture advection into the region from the Indian Ocean.