Iran seeks rail extension to Iraq to create east-west corridor: VP
Iran is seeking to reach an agreement with Iraq to extend a key domestic railway line from the western province of Kermanshah into Iraqi territory, aiming to transform the route into a major international transport corridor, a senior official said on Tuesday. "The Kermanshah to Islamabad-e Gharb railway project has made progress and we are following up on a memorandum of understanding with Iraq to extend this project," Mohammad Jafar Qaempanah, Iran’s Vice President for Executive Affairs, told reporters after inspecting the construction site, according to ISNA. Qaempanah emphasized that the project's success depends on extending the line to the Khosravi border crossing and Iraq simultaneously completing its portion of the route.
He explained that under the proposed agreement, the route would be implemented on the Iraqi side from Baghdad to Khanaqin, and from Khanaqin to the Khosravi border. "The extension of this route with Iraq's cooperation will form an east-west corridor, which could be very significant for transporting goods from northwestern Iran and Turkmenistan to Iraq. We are seeking to realize this," Qaempanah added. On funding, he noted that financial resources for the project have been secured and approved for the next one to two years.