Shafaq News / Iraq partially reopened its southern Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran on Tuesday after more than three months of closure as it sought to suppress the spread of Covid-19, border officials said.
The crossing was being opened only for the trade of foodstuffs, allowing in some 500 trucks from Iran per week and would open every Wednesday and Sunday from now on, one of the officials said.

Iraq closed its international and inter-governorate borders in March, except for transporting and delivering basic commodities such as food, in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

Iran, a large trading partner with Iraq which it shares a long borderline, was the epicenter of the outbreak in the Middle East. However, the prevalence has increased at an accelerated rate also in Iraq, which records about two thousand new cases daily. More than 2,500 people have passed away from the complications of the virus in Iraq, according to data from the Iraqi Ministry of Health.

Crises hampers the economy of the two countries, as Iran is still suffering from the pressure of American sanctions and Iraq has been afflicted by the drop in oil prices.