Iran’s western Kordestan province has established volunteer service stations, handicraft markets, and tourism promotion programs along routes leading to the Bashmaq border crossing.
The infrastructure rollout coincides with the start of the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, a period that sees millions of travelers move between Iran and Iraq.
The move underscores Tehran’s efforts to maintain and expand cross-border economic activity in the Kurdistan region.
By formalizing trade and service points along the pilgrimage route, local authorities aim to capture economic benefits from the high volume of foot traffic while reinforcing logistical support for pilgrims.
This development follows recent agreements between Iran and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to facilitate border exchanges at the Sheikh Saleh crossing in Kermanshah province.
Those arrangements, reached during joint official talks, were designed to streamline trade and improve border management in a region that has historically served as a critical conduit for regional commerce.