SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Dubai: Iranians crossed into southern Iraq via the Shalamcha border on Sunday, hours after an airstrike hit the Iranian side, cutting power and halting trade for several hours, said Haider Abdul Samad, the crossing’s deputy director.
The strike, not the first since the war began, occurred around 3 am, he said, without providing any details on casualties or the strike. Electricity was restored and trade resumed by mid-morning, but Abdul Samad said such disruptions have become routine amid the ongoing war.
Cross-border movement has significantly declined, though dozens of Iranians continue to enter Iraq seeking cheaper goods, internet access and brief family visits before returning to nearby cities such as Abadan and Ahvaz.
Crossing the border, Iranians urged the US to end the war, describing relentless airstrikes, rising prices and worsening living conditions, but insisting they would not leave their country.
“A message to America: Stop the war,” said Atef al-Fatlawi, 30, who arrived from Ahvaz with her husband and young son. She said daily life had deteriorated sharply, with insecurity replacing what she described as previous stability. The family crossed into Iraq via the Shalamcha crossing in Basra.
Al-Fatlawi crossed into Iraq to buy groceries, including rice, which is now cheaper than in Iran due to soaring costs. She said an explosion near her home shattered windows and frightened her child.
“There is fear. My son is scared, so we brought him with us,” she said.
Others made brief trips for basic needs. Fatima Ghaffari, 39, said she crossed the border mainly to access the internet before returning to her home in Abadan. “It’s scary, so scary,” she said of daily life in Ahvaz.
Many described the US-Israel strikes as relentless and frightening but said they would not leave.
“There is no reassurance. We don’t know when our homes could be targeted,” said Razzak Saghir Al-Mousawi, 71, who entered Iraq from Iran on Sunday.
“I am definitely afraid,” he added.
SOURCE : SIASAT
