Kele border crossing reopens to tourists after 10-day snow closure

RAPARIN — Tourist travel resumed Sunday at the Kele border crossing between the Kurdistan Region and Iran, though commercial traffic remains suspended, according to local officials.

Abbas Aziz, head of Raparin customs, told 964media, “As of 1 p.m. today, tourist traffic resumed at the Kele border crossing. There is still no indication when commercial traffic will restart, as we have cleared our side of the road, but it has not been fully cleared on the other side.”

The border crossing has been closed for 10 days due to heavy snowfall, halting both tourist and commercial movement.

Kele is a border gate between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, linking Sardasht with Pshdar district. More than 40 centimeters of snow were reported in the area in late December.

Meanwhile, a wave of snowfall that began Friday has affected several areas across the Kurdistan Region leading to road closures and difficult travel conditions in mountainous areas.

Iraq’s General Meteorological Authority reported Saturday that partly to fully cloudy weather is expected across the country throughout the week, with rain showers that could intensify at times into heavy downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning.