Exports from Iran's Mehran border crossing to Iraq exceed $1.2 billion

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Goods and commodities worth more than $1.2 billion have been exported through Iran's Mehran border crossing to Iraq and other countries over the past 11 months, according to officials in Iran’s Ilam province.

Sohrab Kamari, director of customs for Ilam province in western Iran said on Monday that over the past 11 months over “2.2 million tons of goods have been exported through the Mehran border crossing, with a total value reaching $1.2 billion,” as cited by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Kamari noted that the bulk of exports to Iraqi markets include petrochemical products, agricultural goods, construction materials - such as cement, tiles, stone, iron, and rebar - as well as plastic products.

According to Ilam customs statistics, commercial activity at the crossing remains strong, with an average of 400 trucks transporting goods through Mehran each day.

Kamari added that export figures were higher last year, stating that 3.2 million tons of goods worth $1.8 billion were shipped through the crossing during that period.

On the Iraqi side, the crossing is known as the Zurbatiyah (Zarbatieh) crossing, located in Wasit province about 85 kilometers southwest of Ilam city. It is considered one of the main arteries for trade between Iran and Iraq.

Beyond its commercial importance, the Mehran crossing also serves as a major transit point for religious pilgrims traveling to Iraq’s Shiite holy cities. The border crossing is situated roughly 150 kilometers from Baghdad, around 280 kilometers from Karbala, and less than 320 kilometers from Najaf, two major holy cities for Shiite pilgrims.

As of December last year, more than seven million tourists and pilgrims traveled between Iraq and Iran via the Mehran border crossing over a nine-month period, according to Iranian officials.

From March 21 to December 21, 2025, “a total of 7,040,000 people traveled through the Mehran international border crossing - known as Zurbatiyah border crossing in Iraq, located in eastern Wasit province,” Haidar Dashtipour, director general of roads and transportation for Ilam province, said at the time.

Iraq's trade with Iran, which share a long border - including the Kurdistan Region - dropped last year, according to spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Trade Mohammed Hanoun who said in September that they exported $178 million worth of goods to Iran and imported $4.328 billion. In 2024, total trade volume between them stood at $12.5 billion.