Iran closes borders with Iraq
The local police in Kirkuk, Iraq. Photo: AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iranian Ministry of Interior announced on Monday the closure of land borders with Iraq until further notice.
The Iranian Ministry of Interior mentioned that the land borders with Iraq have been closed until further notice due to the developments related to the security situation in this country. It also called on people wishing to visit Iraq not to go through land borders, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The Iranian Ministry of Interior called on Iranian citizens earlier on Monday not to travel to Iraq until further notice, and that it will work on returning Iranian visitors to Iran safely.
The Iranian embassy in Baghdad asked Iranian visitors who are in Najaf and Karbala to perform a religious visit not to go to Baghdad and Samarra until further notice because of the recent developments in Iraq, according to Mehr News Agency (MNA).
The Joint Operations Command in Iraq announced on Monday the imposition of a curfew after dozens of Muqtada Al-Sadr’s supporters stormed the Green Zone in Baghdad shortly after Al-Sadr’s announcement to quit political work.
The Iraqi police used water cannons to disperse protesters where the government building and foreign embassies are located.
Al-Sadr announcement to withdraw from the political work took place earlier on Monday after the 72-hour deadline he gave last Friday to the Supreme Court to dissolve the parliament expired, and after the head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc submitted an official request in this regard.