Iraq-Iran border crossing reopens after attack that killed two

Baghdad (ANTARA) - Operations at the Shalamcheh border post between Iraq and Iran resumed on Thursday after a three-hour suspension requested by Iran following a bombing on the Iranian side of the border post, according to the Iraqi Border Ports Commission.

According to the commission’s statement, the crossing, located in Basra Province in southern Iraq, was temporarily closed from 02:00 to 05:00 local time on Thursday to allow Iranian authorities to reorganise their operations following the bombing.

The commission said that all border operations are currently running smoothly around the clock to facilitate the entry of visitors.

The Shalamcheh border crossing serves as the main land crossing route between Iraq and Iran, handling heavy passenger traffic.

Earlier the same day, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported that a missile struck an area near the passenger terminal on the Iranian side of the crossing, killing two people. Mehr attributed the attack to the United States (US).

The incident occurred amid rising regional tensions as the US and Iran have launched attacks against each other over recent days. The US has carried out strikes on Iranian targets, while Iran has retaliated by attacking American bases and facilities in the region.