The influx of large numbers of Iranian visitors coming to Karbala to commemorate the religious Arbaeen pilgrimage, caused turmoil at most of the border crossings in the country’s east.
Iranian authorities announced they were closing all roads leading to Iraq, “due to the disturbing events that occurred on the Shalamcheh and Mehran borders and the grave risks that arose for the safety and health of visitors,” reported the Iranian Mehr News Agency, citing an Iranian official.
Despite the visit of Iranian Interior Minister Ahmed Wahidi to Baghdad last week, and his meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and his Iraqi counterpart Othman Al-Ghanmi, the Iraqi and Iranian sides were unable to resolve the overcrowding at land ports.
Estimates noted that two or three million pilgrims were trying to cross the borders.
Iraqi officials had called on Iranian authorities to limit the number of visitors to avoid problems with entry and access to Karbala.
Wahidi had previously stated that Iraq could not take in the numbers of visitors from his country.
On Saturday, he announced that the Iraqi authorities had approved the entry of visitors by Iranian buses.
Photos and videos showed thousands of Iranian visitors waiting for hours at the Iraqi border crossings, to head to Karbala in Iraqi public buses allocated by some government authorities and private transport companies.
That same day, three Iranians died and 15 others were injured in a traffic accident in Wasit Governorate, which is linked to the Mehran border crossing with Iran.
The Iraqi Border Ports Authority confirmed that all visitors were subject to inspection and passport stamping, adding that two million Iranian pilgrims had already entered the country.
