Road Accident In Iraq Claims Lives Of Iranian Pilgrims

Early on Saturday, a road accident in Iraq claimed the lives of at least 16 individuals, 12 of whom were Iranians, as reported by the Iraqi state news agency.

Additionally, the accident left thirteen people injured, and it took place on a road connecting two cities in Iraq's northern Salahuddin province. A local medical official confirmed that the injured were transported to hospitals in critical condition.

Millions of Iraqi Shias and pilgrims from various countries, including Iran, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, have already arrived or are en route to the holy Shiite city of Karbala, situated approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Baghdad. They are are participating in the Arbaeen ceremonies, scheduled for September 6 this year.

Arbaeen, which translates to "fortieth," is a significant Shiite religious observance observed forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the death of Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in a power rivalry in 680 AD.

The Islamic Republic government perceives this event as an opportunity to exert influence in the region and encourages Iranian to visit Iraq with various incentives. These include providing free medical services and rest stops along the pilgrimage route, offering free internet during the journey and within Iraq, providing interest-free loans, granting 200,000 Iraqi dinars ($150) to pilgrims, and issuing special passports with reduced bureaucratic requirements. The allocation of affordable foreign currency, previously in the form of dollars or euros until this year, is funded from Iran's frozen assets in Iraq, set to be released as part of a prisoner exchange agreement with the United States.

Despite these incentives, the number of Iranians willing to undertake the Arbaeen Shiite pilgrimage is on the decline.