ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A US airstrike targeted the southeastern Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran on Saturday, killing one Iraqi traveler and injuring five others.
The strike reportedly hit the crossing while a humanitarian aid convoy belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) was present. The incident follows the recent circulation of footage in Iraq showing the PMF collecting donations intended to support Iran.
Head of Iraq's Border Ports Authority Omar al-Waeli said one person was killed and five others were injured in the strike, which reportedly occurred around 11 a.m. Saturday.
The Shalamcheh crossing, east of Basra, has recently drawn scrutiny after reports in early January alleged the PMF used the crossing to move fighters into Iran to assist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in responding to anti-government protests earlier this year.
The strike is one of several targeting PMF-linked sites since the start of the war between the US, Israel, and Iran on February 28. The PMF has responded with attacks on US bases and interests using one-way drones, complicating Baghdad’s official stance to maintain neutrality and avoid being drawn into the conflict.
The attack damaged the facility’s infrastructure, rendering border control systems inoperable and leaving numerous Iraqi and Iranian travelers stranded. With Iraqi airspace currently closed, travelers are limited to land crossings, amplifying the disruption.
Iraqi officials swiftly condemned the attack. Deputy Kazem Atiya al-Shammari, head of the Border Crossings and National Product Protection Committee, on Saturday denounced the strike on what he described as a "civilian sovereign facility."
In a statement, Shammari emphasized the crossing's role as a vital artery for transit and trade, particularly given the current airspace closures. He said the attack "constitutes a blatant violation of international norms and laws, as they are civilian service areas that are non-military in nature," and called on the United Nations and the international community to intervene urgently to ensure the safety of border operations.
Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, thousands of protestors took to the streets across Iraq to condemn the “Zionist-American aggression," following a call from influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Sunday. The protesters demanded an end to foreign military intervention while waving Iraqi flags in a display of national solidarity against the recent attacks.
“I call upon the Iraqi people, of all sects and affiliations, to demonstrate in all the provinces of Iraq next Saturday to condemn the aggression of the US and to demand peace in the entire region,” said Sadr in a handwritten letter. He also said that the demonstration “must be peaceful.”