Iran tightens northern Iraq blockade
Iran’s Custom administration has suspended activity of a checkpoint on the border with the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq following the disputed independence referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq on Sept. 25.
According to a letter, signed by Ahmad Barkabian Zanjani, Supervisor of Iran’s West Azerbaijan province custom offices, all custom activities including export, transit as well as entry and exit of passenger carrying vehicles are suspended at Piranshahr customs checkpoint until “further notice.”
The letter is published by semi-official Tasnim news agency on Oct. 2.
Earlier Iran Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization has temporarily banned carrying oil products to Iraq’s Kurdish Autonomous Region and vice versa.
The directive addressing Iranian cargo transportation firms has said that the decision was made following the recent developments in the region.
Iran has already closed its aerial zone to the region at the request of Iraq’s government. All flights to Sulaymaniyah and Erbil airports as well as transit flights from Iraqi Kurdistan through Iran’s air zone were halted.
Iran and Turkey are among the countries, which have urged for protecting Iraq’s territorial integrity.
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