Shalamcheh crossing reopens after three-hour halt following strike in Iran

BASRA — Iraq’s Shalamcheh border crossing in Basra governorate resumed operations early Thursday after a three-hour suspension requested by Iranian authorities following a strike on the Iranian side of the crossing, the head of Iraq’s Border Ports Authority said.

Omar al-Waeli told the Iraqi News Agency that operations at the Shalamcheh crossing were suspended from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. at the request of the Iranian side.

He said the pause was intended to reorganize operations after the crossing “was subjected to shelling on the Iranian side,” adding that traffic resumed at 5 a.m. and has continued smoothly, with Arbaeen pilgrims entering Iraq without interruption.

Earlier Thursday, Iranian officials said a missile strike hit the passenger terminal on the Iranian side of the Shalamcheh border crossing, killing two people and injuring 11 others.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Khuzestan Deputy Governor for Security Affairs Valiollah Hayati said a U.S. missile strike targeted the terminal. He said the crossing remained operational despite the attack, with relief efforts underway and pilgrims continuing to cross between Iran and Iraq.

Videos circulated by local residents, which 964media could not independently verify, appeared to show explosions, fires and pilgrims fleeing the area. Some people in the footage claimed the strike hit an Iranian watchtower, while other videos appeared to show pilgrims continuing to enter Iraq after the attack.

The Shalamcheh crossing, opposite Iraq’s Basra governorate, is one of the main entry points for Iranian pilgrims traveling to Iraq for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.

The reported strike comes amid a new round of U.S. military strikes inside Iran and renewed tensions after Tehran threatened to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and target vessels transiting the waterway without coordination.

The crossing has been targeted before. In early April, an airstrike hit the travelers’ hall on the Iranian side, killing one Iraqi traveler and injuring five others and forcing a complete suspension of operations. It was the second strike on the crossing in less than two weeks. In late March, another airstrike on the Iranian side wounded five truck drivers, including two Iraqis, damaged several Iraqi trucks and temporarily halted trade.