Tehran: Iran’s Road Management Center has reported that a total of 1,113,686 pilgrims have crossed the border into Iraq over a ten-day period, marking the Arba’een pilgrimage season. This movement of people took place under a coordinated transportation plan that began on July 16 and concluded on July 25.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the official IRNA news agency released a statement from the center, noting that 886,775 pilgrims departed Iranian soil via land borders, heading towards the revered shrines in Iraq. These crossings were part of a significant religious observance that sees millions journey to the holy sites annually.

The statement also highlighted that 226,911 pilgrims had returned to Iran through the same border crossings during this timeframe, resulting in 659,864 Iranian pilgrims remaining in Iraq by the end of the ten-day period. The data underscores the scale of the pilgrimage and the logistical efforts involved in managing such a large movement of people.

Additionally, the center identified the Mehran (Shahid Soleimani), Shalamcheh, and Khosravi (Mundhiriyah) border points as the busiest for outbound traffic to Iraq. Conversely, the Shalamcheh, Mehran, and Shib (Jazbah) crossings experienced the highest volume of returning pilgrims. These statistics highlight key transit points and the significant coordination required to facilitate the pilgrimage.