Baghdad, Tehran seal agreement on Jilat crossing

Shafaq News – Baghdad / Tehran

Iraq and Iran agreed to open the Jilat border crossing, Ilam province, Iran’s state-linked Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday.

According to the agency, the head of Iraq’s Border Ports Authority, Omar Al-Waeli, confirmed the decision during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Iraq and senior officials from Ilam province, stressing that “the Gilat crossing will open as a new official gateway between Iraq and Iran.”

Al-Waeli explained that operations will begin in stages, with passenger movement initially limited before expanding over time. He also confirmed plans to designate Gilat as a commercial crossing in a later phase, calling it “a foundation for future economic exchange between the two countries.”

The new crossing, he added, will strengthen coordination between the border authorities of the two neighbors.

Iran and Iraq recently moved into the final stage of coordination to complete infrastructure works at the Jilat border crossing, following a field visit by senior Iranian officials to Iraq’s Maysan Province. The talks focused on operational arrangements, implementation of existing agreements, and finalizing facilities needed to activate the crossing as a permanent international entry point.