ISTANBUL

Iraq announced on Saturday that trade and passenger movement at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran were suspended after strikes on the Iranian side killed an Iraqi citizen.

The attacks also wounded five Iraqis, Lt. Gen. Omar Al-Waeli, the head of the Border Ports Authority, said, according to the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Those wounded were transferred to a hospital inside Iran, Al-Waeli added.

There are other options for bringing goods into the country besides the said crossing — such as the Safwan border crossing — as well as additional land ports across different provinces that continue operating to ensure the flow of goods and supplies, he said.

Earlier, the Shalamcheh border trade terminal in Iran was attacked by the US-Israeli strikes.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.​​​​​​​

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.