Iran bans individual travel to Iraq from western Iran

Iran advised the pilgrims not to travel to Iraq individually from the cross border routes, Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Iranians who want to go to pilgrimage to the Iraqi holy cities must not cross the Mehran (in Ilam province) and Shalamcheh (in Khuzestan province) border points," the ministry said in a statement.

It urged Iranian pilgrims "to use other border points respecting legal issues."
The ban is announced based on the recent decision made by the office in charge of pilgrims affairs, the statement said, adding that Iranians must travel to Iraq with prior arrangements by authorized travel agencies.

Mehran border is an important crossing point for pilgrims into Iraq. It is also an export hub for Iranian commodities.

Currently, some 3,000 Iranian pilgrims pass into Iraq on a daily basis through the border point.

Meanwhile, Shalamcheh border crossing located in Iraq's southern province of Basra./end