Tehran, Iran – The Associated Press reports that groups of Iranian citizens are crossing the border into Iraq daily, driven by the urgent need for food and internet access, which their cities lack due to the conflict.
Crossing towards “Shalamja”
Haider Abdul Samad, deputy director of the Shalamcheh border crossing, confirmed that dozens of Iranians crossed into southern Iraq on Sunday.
Abdul Samad explained that these citizens were not seeking to emigrate.
Rather, they aimed to purchase basic food items at lower prices and access internet services available on the Iraqi side.
These services have become their only lifeline for communicating with the outside world.
These forced journeys came just hours after a heavy airstrike hit locations near the Iranian-Iraqi border.
This caused widespread power outages and brought trade to a complete standstill for several hours.
Abdul Samad described this as a “recurring pattern” in the context of the ongoing war.
The impact of war on daily life
Despite a significant decrease in border traffic compared to normal times, these crossings remain
a temporary refuge for residents of Iranian border cities, such as Abadan, on the border with Iraq.
The crossers’ goals extend beyond simply finding affordable goods or accessing the internet.
They also make brief family visits before returning home.
They do so despite the security risks and the escalating military operations.
These humanitarian cases reflect the extent of the economic and technological pressures faced by civilians in Iran.
The ongoing strikes have devastated infrastructure, forcing thousands of citizens to adapt to the realities of war
by seeking refuge in neighboring countries to obtain the most basic necessities.
They continue to wait and see how the situation on the ground, which grows more complex by the day, will unfold.
