Iraq and Iran sign joint security agreement to monitor border

The commander of Iraq’s border guards, Hamid Abdullah, and his Iranian counterpart, Qassim Rezai, signed a joint security agreement on Thursday to control the border and facilitate the entry of Iranians who wish to visit Shia religious shrines in Karbala.

A spokesman for Wasit Police Command, Captain Hassan Awad, told Anadolu news agency that the agreement followed a series of meetings held over the past few days. “It will facilitate travel for Iranians who will visit the shrine of Imam Hussein in November,” he explained.

Awad pointed out that the Iranian ambassador in Iraq, Hassan Danaeifar, attended the meetings along with the governor of Wasit and security officials. “The security forces in Wasit have put in place a comprehensive plan to protect the Iranian visitors who will walk to Karbala and are expected to arrive within the next ten days.”

The shrine of Imam Hussein is one of the most important for Shia Muslims. Hundreds of thousands from around the world visit Karbala every year to commemorate his death.