For the first time, Iraqi trucks carry out cross-border transport operations under the TIR agreement.
For the first time, Iraqi trucks carry out cross-border transport operations under the TIR agreement.
2026-08-22
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The General Company for Land Transport, affiliated with the Ministry of Transport, announced on Saturday that Iraqi trucks have joined, for the first time, in carrying out transport operations under the international (TIR) agreement, after transport operations carried out within the country were carried out only by foreign trucks throughout the past period.
The company’s director, Murtadha Al-Shahmani, said in a statement that the transport operations exceeded 5,000 operations across Iraqi territory, all of which fall under the International Transit Transport Agreement (TIR) established by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), an agreement in which more than 79 economic countries around the world participate, including Iraq.
He explained that Iraqi trucks carried out transport operations that came from Saudi territory through the Arar border crossing, heading to Central Asian countries, considering that the success of this operation creates a promising economic horizon with an important national resource that the Ministry of Transport is working to develop in order to achieve the highest levels of benefit from it at the level of the Iraqi state.
Al-Shahmani pointed out that the ministry has expanded by concluding several memoranda of understanding with neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran and Turkey, so that Iraq can be part of the international supply chain corridors, taking advantage of its distinguished geographical location in this field.
The company director revealed that several countries are currently in discussions with the ministry and relevant authorities, such as the Border Ports Authority, with the aim of concluding memoranda of understanding and agreements related to developing work on transit transport agreements. He indicated that many countries are seeking to sign joint cooperation agreements with Iraq, most notably Armenia, Poland, and a number of Gulf countries, and stressed that the strategic development road project, once completed, will be the backbone for developing work in the cross-border transport sector to a large extent.
Iraq had previously announced its official accession to the technically integrated TIR system and the activation of international cross-border transport operations in partnership with the International Road Transport Union, with the aim of simplifying customs procedures at border crossings and facilitating the movement of trucks.
shafaq.com
