Iran's Interior Minister in Baghdad following a call between al-Kadhimi and Raisi's deputy

Shafaq News/ Iranian Minister of Interior Ahmed Wahidi will be heading to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, later today, Wednesday, Fars news agency reported.

The semi-official news agency said that Wahidi will hold a series of meetings with Iraqi government officials to address difficulties Iranian pilgrims are facing and help facilitate their entrance into the Iraqi territory.

In the same context, Iran's Vice President Mohammad Mokhber held a phone call with the Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to discuss "issues of mutual interests."

Last week, the Islamic Republic reopened its border with Iraq to travelers shortly after Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his supporters to withdraw from the streets.

Tehran had its borders closed and flights to Iraq halted amid an eruption of violence in the neighboring country following al-Sadr's announcement that he would quit politics.

Millions of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Kerbala every year for the ritual of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, Imam Hussein. Arbaeen falls on September 16-17 this year.

Iran media projected that nearly three to five million Iranian pilgrims would visit Karbala this year.

As of yesterday, 173 thousand foreign pilgrims have entered the Iraqi territory to participate in the multi-million religious observance. The spokesperson to the Iraqi border crossings commission, Aladin al-Qaisi, told Shafaq News Agency that 88,644 and 15,550 pilgrims had entered Iraq via the Zerbatiya (Wasit) and Sheeb (Maysan) border crossings, respectively.

"In Basra, 54,786 and 698 pilgrims checked in the border crossings of Shalamcheh and Safwan, respectively," al-Qaisi added, "9,380 pilgrims entered Diyala via the Munzeriyah border crossing."

The airports of Najaf and Baghdad had received 3,620 and 507 pilgrims, according to Tuesday's report by al-Qaisi.