Inauguration of Al-Bukamal crossing is a future project between Iran, Syria and Jordan – Security expert

AlBukamal-al-Qaem border crossing between Syria and Iraq has opened today for goods transit, after necessary arrangements by the Syrian and Iraqi sides have been completed for the inauguration.

“This crossing is very important for Syria and Iraq, and it is of most importance for neighboring Iran”, Iraqi security and strategic expert Motaz Abdulhamid told North-Press.

“Iran has long been trying to find a land route linking it to Iraq and then Syria, to increase commercial exchange and religious visits. It was planning to build railways between Iran, Iraq and Syria, as well as exporting oil via pipelines to the Syrian port of Banias”, Abdulhamid added.

The Iraqi expert believes that the U.S. has the right to monitor this new corridor, because it supervises and monitors the road between Iraq and Jordan, “but it cannot impede this project, because it has been already agreed on with the United States”.

Moreover, Addulhamid asserted that the crossing is very important for the commercial exchange between Iraq and Syria, which was previously operated through Syrian ports from the European Union countries, but now it will cost less if received from the ports of al-Aqaba or al-Basra in southern Iraq.

He believes that this crossing and commercial corridor will be, “a future joint project between Syria, Iran and Jordan, as Jordan will also benefit from this crossing”.

Albukamal crossing is an important outlet between Syria and Iraq, and has been out of service for many years because of the Islamic State’s control over the Syrian-Iraqi borders.

The Syrian News Agency (SANA) said that the border-crossing was opened today in the presence of the Interior Minister of the Syrian government, Muhammad Khaled al-Rahmoun and Dr. Kazem al-Oqabi, the head of the Iraqi border crossings, and representative of the Iraqi prime minister.

The head of the Iraqi border-crossings Kazem al-Oqabi earlier said that the corridor will contribute to the creation of jobs for the residents of al- Qaem from the Iraqi side, and Al-Bukamal from the Syrian side, while stressed that whenever the security situation improves on the Syrian-Iraqi borders, other crossings will be opened between the two countries..

In November 19, 2017, the Syrian government forces regained control over the border city of Al-Bukamal and its outskirts.