Iraqi trucks launch first international transit run to Turkmenistan via Iran

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's General Land Transport Company, affiliated with the Ministry of Transport, announced on Sunday, August 16, 2026, the launch of the first international transit convoy using Iraqi-plated trucks. The leased trucks departed through the Arar border crossing en route to the Inche Burun crossing on the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The company's director general, Murtada Karim al-Shihmani, said in a written statement that the convoy was coordinated with relevant government and customs authorities through the International Road Transport Union liaison point maintained by the Ministry of Transport. According to al-Shihmani, the run is intended to ensure that TIR system procedures are applied smoothly along the route. Al-Shihmani said the operation expands the role of Iraqi transport fleets in international freight and that the leasing model gives the company operational flexibility. The move is part of efforts to position Iraq as a trade corridor linking the Persian Gulf to Central Asia, according to the statement.