Iraq Lifts Visa Requirement for Iran’s Arba’een Pilgrims

Iraq has removed visa requirements for Iranian pilgrims going to the Arab country for Arba’een rituals based on an agreement signed by the two sides in Tehran.

The deal was signed by Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Hossein Zolfaqari and his Iraqi counterpart in a meeting held in Tehran on Monday morning.

Based on the deal, from now on Arba’een pilgrims can enter Iraq with their passports and letters of insurance.

The long-awaited agreement came after repeated calls by Iran for a visa-free regime in order to facilitate the visit of Iranian pilgrims to the neighbouring state.

The Arba’een mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

It marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (AS).

Each year, pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located.

Last year, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Karbala on Arba’een.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.