A history etched by both conflict and profound faith defines the long frontier between Iran and Iraq. This nearly 1,600-kilometer line, running from Turkey down to the Persian Gulf, is not merely a political boundary but a path for millions of pilgrims and a primary artery for regional trade. Your experience crossing here is deeply tied to this complex and layered identity.
You will find approximately nine official crossing points along this border. Several connect directly with federal Iraq: Shalamcheh (near Basra), Chazabeh, Mehran (a major pilgrimage route), and Khosravi are the most prominent. Further north, crossings into the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq include Parviz Khan, Bashmaq, and Haji Omran. Each serves a mix of local, commercial, and international traffic.
Many of these crossings, particularly Mehran and Shalamcheh, see immense traffic from religious pilgrims traveling to the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf. If your travel coincides with major religious events like Arba’een, you should anticipate significant delays and large crowds. Outside of these periods, the process is more routine, but it’s wise to check the current political and security situation, as individual crossings can close with little notice.
The border’s recent history is inseparable from the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, and the landscape in some areas still bears the marks of that conflict. The Shatt al-Arab waterway at the southern end of the border has been a point of contention for centuries and remains a location of strategic importance for both nations.