Iran, Iraq entry visa requirement lifted, says President Raisi
Baghdad has also agreed to "increase" the number of Iranian pilgrims it will allow into Iraq for the upcoming Arbaeen observance, Raisi added. The number was previously capped at 30,000.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The entry visa requirement when traveling between Iran and Iraq has been lifted, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi announced on Sunday, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim reported.
Raisi's statement came during a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in the Iranian capital, Tehran, that followed a meeting between the two heads of government.
Baghdad has also agreed to "increase" the number of Iranian pilgrims it will allow into Iraq for the upcoming Arbaeen observance, the president added, noting further that relations between the neighboring countries "run deep."
Last year, Iraq banned foreign pilgrims traveling to the country for Arbaeen amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Iraq has permitted entry to 30,000 Iranian pilgrims provided they travel by air. Travelers also reportedly require PCR COVID-19 tests upon entry.
Arbaeen is set to take place in late September.
Read More: Iraq caps Arbaeen foreign pilgrim numbers at 40,000
The Iranian president affirmed that his country is looking forward to strengthening relations with Iraq. He also explained Tehran and Baghdad wish to start a railway project linking the border town of Shalamcheh, Khuzestan province, to the neighboring Iraq Basra province.