TEHRAN- Activity in Mehran border between Iran and Iraq has increased from four days to all weekdays, according to an Iranian provincial official.

Ruhollah Gholami, the director-general of the customs department of western Ilam province, also announced that 250 Iraqi trucks are allowed to enter the Mehran terminal every day to transport Iran’s exports to Iraq, Mehr news agency reported.

The border crossing stopped operation earlier this Iranian calendar year (began on March 20) after the coronavirus pandemic broke out in the countries.

The terminal has been resuming operation gradually. The terminal started operation for two days a week in July before increasing the working days to four in late August.

On August 25, another official in Ilam province announced, “Iran has exported 18,884 tons of commodities to Ira through Mehran border since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year.”

Mahnaz Hemmati, the head of the standard department of Ilam province, also said that 158,000 tons of goods were exported to Iraq from this border point in the past Iranian year.

She added that the main exported goods were constructional materials, chemicals, and auto parts.

Shahid Soleimani border point, also known as Mehran border point, only 230 km away from Baghdad, is the closest Iranian border point to the Iraqi capital.

Last week, Mehr news agency reported that Iran and Iraq resumed trade through Mandali (Soomar) border which had been closed for about five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mazen al-Khuzai, the director of Mandali Region, announced the reopening of the mentioned border crossing, the Al-Malumah news site published.

Accordingly, dozens of trucks, passing from the Iranian border, headed towards Mandali border, the official added.

Mandali border crossing is located in the vicinity of the Soomar border marketplace, in the Iranian Kermanshah province.

The economic and political relations between Iran and Iraq have increased significantly in the past few years and the two neighbors are seeking ways to facilitate financial transactions and boost their trade ties.

The two countries have it on the agenda to increase the value of their bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2021.