US Missile Strike Kills Two at Iraq-Iran Border

The Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran resumed normal operations on Thursday, July 23, following a three-hour suspension. The closure occurred from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time after a missile strike hit the Iranian side of the crossing near the passenger terminal, killing two people.

Iranian authorities requested the temporary shutdown to reorganize operations in the aftermath of the attack. The Mehr news agency, an Iranian outlet, attributed the strike to the Federal government of the United States. The incident took place amid a period of heightened regional tensions characterized by reciprocal strikes between the two nations.

The Iraqi Border Ports Commission confirmed that operations returned to normal to facilitate visitor traffic through the Basra province crossing.