DUBAI: Two border crossings between Iran and Iraq, including one due to be used by hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslim worshippers at an annual pilgrimage this month, have been closed because of unrest in Iraq, Iran’s border guards said on Thursday.
Anti-government protests have turned violent in recent days in Iraq.
Iranian border guards commander General Qasem Rezaei said the Khosravi and Chazabeh crossings had been closed since late Wednesday, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
A senior Iranian pilgrimage official told state television that the Khosravi border crossing was closed, but other crossings were open ahead of an annual Shiite Muslim pilgrimage in Iraq.
Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said last week 3 million Iranian pilgrims were expected to visit Iraq’s southern city of Karbala later this month for the religious ritual of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Iran says two border crossings to Iraq closed because of unrest in Iraq
Iran says two border crossings to Iraq closed because of unrest in Iraq
- Khosravi and Chazabeh crossings have been closed since Wednesday
- The first crossing is used by Shiite Muslims for pilgrimage in Iraq
