A number of Sassanid governors attempted to combine their forces to throw back the invaders, but the effort was crippled by the lack of a strong central authority, and the governors were defeated at the Battle of Nihawānd.
Nogle af de sassanidiske guvernører forsøgte at samle deres styrker for at jage indtrængerne bort, men anstrengelserne blev hæmmet af, at de manglede en stærk central ledelse, og guvernørerne blev slået i slaget ved Nihawānd.