Heavy snowfall briefly blocks road in Sulaimani linking Iran-Kurdistan

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The main road to one of the international border crossings linking the Kurdistan Region with Iran was temporarily blocked on Friday due to substantial snowfall in the area, according to a local official.

A video posted on social media showed cars and heavy-duty trucks parked on the road covered with snow while others drove at low speed on the snow-covered ground.

“Heavy snowfall led to the closure of the Penjwen-Sulaimani road that links to Iran,” said Zana Rahman, the mayor of Penjwen, in a press conference earlier in the day. “Trailers coming from Iran came to a halt on the road.”

He added that “all concerned bodies within the traffic police, police, civil defense and municipal [authorities] have rushed to resolve this problem,” noting they are currently working to reopen the road.

The road was eventually cleared and traffic resumed, Rahman told Kurdistan 24 in an update. Penjwen is located in the Sulaimani Province.

From Penjwen, one can take the main road that would lead to the larger Bashmakh border crossing or take the longer route to the four other crossings, all of which are smaller and located in much harsher terrain.

Penjwen district, as a whole, experiences heavy bouts of snowfall and storms during the winter months, leading to temporary halts in the movement of cars and trade between Sulaimani and Iran.

Bashmakh is one of three international border crossings between the Kurdistan Region and Iran, through which bilateral trade makes up the bulk of the economy.

Editing by Nadia Riva