The Kele border crossing. (Photo: 964media)
Pshdar
Kele border crossing reopens after heavy snowfall
PSHDAR — The Kele border crossing in Pshdar district, Sulaymaniyah, reopened Thursday for commercial and tourist traffic after being closed for more than a week due to heavy snowfall, Abbas Aziz, director of Raparin Customs, told 964media.
The closure, caused by heavy snow accumulation that disrupted transportation, halted traffic for both passenger vehicles and trucks. “Today, traffic at the border has returned to normal,” Aziz said.
Kele is an unofficial crossing linking Sulaymaniyah’s Pishdar district with Sardasht in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, and has served as a conduit for informal trade since 1992. Aziz noted that between 50 and 60 cargo trucks entered Iran through the crossing today as trade activity resumed.
On average, around 250 trucks and 1,000 travelers cross the Kele border daily between the Kurdistan Region and Iran. In September 2024, authorities closed the main road at the crossing for maintenance, forcing truck drivers to reroute through nearby villages.
