Traffic resumes at Kele border crossing after heavy snowfall

PSHDAR — Traffic at the Kele border crossing between the Kurdistan Region and Iran resumed Sunday after a two-day closure caused by heavy snowfall, officials said.

Abbas Aziz, director of Raparin Customs, told 964media that clearing operations on the Iranian side allowed movement to resume. “Today, Sunday, the Kele border road on the Rojhelat [Iranian Kurdistan] side has been cleared of snow, and travelers are moving through,” he said.

The closure was attributed to accumulated snow that had not been cleared from the Iranian side, with snowstorms repeatedly blocking the route and disrupting travel.

Kele is an unofficial border crossing linking Sulaymaniyah’s Pishdar district with Sardasht in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province. It has served as a conduit for informal trade since 1992.

In September 2024, authorities closed the main road at the crossing for maintenance, forcing truck drivers to reroute through nearby villages.