Basra pushes for second border crossing with Iran

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, local authorities in the Al-Faw district of Basra province submitted a formal request to Iraq’s federal government to establish a new border crossing with Iran.

The request outlined the proposed crossing as a means to stimulate economic and trade activity between Iraq and Iran, while also creating job opportunities.

Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani expressed his support for the proposal and instructed the Basra administration to coordinate with Iraq’s Ministry of Interior and the Border Ports Authority to begin necessary procedures.

The province hosts one main land border crossing with Iran — the Shalamcheh crossing, east of Basra city. The post serves as a vital route for both commercial goods and passenger traffic, particularly during religious pilgrimage seasons when tens of thousands of Iranian visitors travel through it to reach Iraq’s holy shrines.