Iraq expects over 2,000 cross-border truck transit trips in 2026

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Transport Ministry said the number of cross-border truck and overland transit trips passing through Iraqi territory is expected to exceed 2,000 next year, as the reopening of the Rabia border crossing with Syria opens a new phase in trade flows. Murtada al-Shahmani, director of the General Land Transport Company and head of the local guarantee team for the TIR system, said more than 2,000 land transit trips are projected to cross Iraqi territory in 2026. He described the TIR system as a safe and efficient trade mechanism and said work is underway to expand trade areas at border crossings. The local guarantee team has met with the Directorate of Passports to discuss mechanisms that would simplify the issuance of entry visas for TIR drivers and their companions, the ministry said. Iraq formally joined the TIR system last year, a step officials say positions the country as a trade corridor linking Gulf markets, Syria, Turkey and Europe. According to ministry data, the number of transit trips crossing Iraqi territory passed 1,000 in 2025. Officials expect the reopening of the Rabia crossing to support Iraq's role as a regional trade hub and reduce its heavy reliance on oil revenues. No further details on the planned 2026 figures were immediately available.