Iran War: As Border Reopens, Iranians Cross Into Northern Iraq For Cheaper Food, Internet And Work

Tehran: Iran is currently engulfed in the fire of war. The lives of Iranians have worsened after the US-Israeli attacks. They are now trying to flee Iran. Many Iranians crossed into northern Iraq on Sunday, which was the first day the border had opened since war struck their country.

Why are Iranians crossing border?

Some Iranians are crossing the border to visit their loved ones, while others are crossing to buy cheaper groceries, access the internet, contact relatives and find work.

When the  Haji Omeran crossing on the Iran-Iraq border opened on Sunday, the landscape of life changed completely. It was the first day after the war when dozens of Iranian families entered the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. 

Iranians are entering Iraq in large numbers and returning with bags full of cheap rice, oil, SIM cards. 

The main purpose is to buy cheap groceries, use the internet, contact relatives, and find work. 

What are the people saying?

People who have crossed the border from Iran have revealed the reality of the country. They said that constant airstrikes and rising food prices have made life extremely difficult in Iran. Many trucks are coming to Iraq in the hope of buying cheap goods and getting relief from the high prices in Iran. 

A truck driver carrying goods from Iraq to Iran, said, "The border closure has affected everyone, rich and poor, and laborers."

Did Kurdish region became a support for Iranian people?

Even before the US and Israel launched a war against Iran, Iranian Kurds frequently crossed into Iraq's Kurdish region. They share deep familial, cultural, and economic ties, and the border remains open, allowing for continued trade and regular movement. 

The border was closed after the war. With the reopening, Iraq's Kurdish region has become a vital link to the outside world for Iranians trapped in the war-torn region. 

One of the Iraqi Kurdish official said that, after a long wait, the crossing reopened from the Iranian side. The border had been closed due to rising regional military tensions. 

Iraqi Kurdish officials had been waiting for their Iranian counterparts to reopen the crossing.

What is the ground reality of Iran?

While revealing the ground reality of Iran, one Iranian Kurds said that they fear for their safety and for retaliation from the Iranian intelligence agency. 

They said that many Iranian military bases, intelligence offices, and other security sites have been destroyed. The bombing has also limited the movement of security forces. Officials have stopped going to government buildings and are now taking refuge in public places like schools and hospitals, or are simply moving around in vehicles instead of reporting to their offices.

Another person who returned after crossing the border with two plastic bags full of groceries, said her children were waiting for her at home. 

Another elderly woman, who was crossing the border alone, said she had come from Sardasht, a city in Iran's West Azerbaijan province, and was now heading to Choman, a city in Iraq's Kurdish region, to find distant relatives she knew lived there and ask for help. It's about 40 kilometers from the border.