Baku, Azerbaijan, June 11
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran may temporarily ban its citizens' traveling to holy Iraqi cities due to security concerns, the country's police chief, Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghaddam said.
No decision on the issue has been made as yet, Ahmadi Moghaddam said adding that if the Supreme National Security Council decides to suspend pilgrimage to Iraq, police will implement the decision, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on June 11.
An estimated 6,000 Iranian pilgrims cross the border into Iraq every day.
The police chief also went on to say that security measures have been intensified along the borders with Iraq.
It should be noted that, the situation in the northern territory of Iran's western neighbour, Iraq sharply escalated last week. Nearly 60 people were killed as a result of numerous clashes between Iraqi security forces and militants near the city of Mosul. Members of the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) took control of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city.
Over the past few days tens of thousands of people have fled the city.