IRNA � No security concerns are threatening the Iranian borders, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said on Friday.


He made the remarks in a meeting with the Iranian Border Guard Commander Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaie during his visit to the Iranian borderline with Iraq.

Thanks to the efforts of the Iranian border guards, there is no security concern in the borders, Alavi added.

The intelligence minister appreciated the efforts by the Iranian police and border guards in establishing security alongside borders with Iraq in Mehran on in the western province of Ilam.

Mehran city borders Iraq and, according to the official reports, up to one million people have already crossed into Iraq to attend Arbaeen ceremonies there using the border check.

During the meeting, commander of the border guards said that Mehran International Border to Iraq has been closed because of the big flow of pilgrims which is beyond its capacity.

Arbaeen, falling on November 20 this year, is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the third Imam of Shia Muslims.

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

Pilgrims, who want to travel to Iraq to attend the Arbaeen mourning ceremony in Karbala, should enter into Iraq via Chazzabeh and Shalamcheh border crossings, Commander Rezaei said.

Mehran International Border is located 85 km southwest of Ilam in western Iran.