The Zagros thrust belt formed due to the convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates during the closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. GPS measurements show that the northward relative motion of the Arabian Plate is still active today. This active drift produces high-magnitude earthquakes along the Zagros thrust belt, such as the Iran-Iraq border seismic event of November 12, 2017 (Mw = 7.3), nucleated along the “Mountain Front Fault”. The aim of this work is to study the inter-seismic and co-seismic deformation that eventually leads to the nucleation of important seismic events in the study area. A 2-D finite element model has been performed starting from published geological sections and relevant seismological datasets, integrated with geo-mechanical parameters of the rocks. The results of finite element modeling (FEM), including predicted uplift pattern and rate along the analysed crustal section, are compared with a tectonic geomorphology analysis in order to unravel the most reliable tectonic scenario for the active tectonic setting of the study area.