Rubbing his hands together to warm them, Iranian truck driver Reza curses the more than 300-kilometre detour he was forced to make to enter Iraq after the war closed most of the usually busy border crossings.
Originally from the small town of Piranshahr in northwestern Iran, he normally drives just 20 minutes to the Haji Omeran crossing, but it has been shut since the start of Israeli-US air strikes on Iran on February 28.
kAmQx H2:E65 7:G6 ?:89ED[ :E ?6G6C @A6?65[Q 96 E@=5 pu! @? (65?6D52J :? E96 42C A2C< @? E96 xC2B: D:56 @7 2?@E96C 3@C56C 4C@DD:?8 7FCE96C D@FE9[ q2D9>2CB[ H9:49 2=D@ 4@??64ED xC2? E@ xC2BVD zFC5:DE2? C68:@?]k^Am
kAm{:<6 E96 @E96C 5C:G6CD H9@ DA@<6 E@ pu![ #6K2 :D 36:?8 :56?E:7:65 3J 2 AD6F5@?J>[ 92G:?8 C6BF6DE65 2?@?J>:EJ @FE @7 4@?46C? 7@C 9:D D276EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 C@25D H6C6 BF:6E[ D2:5 #6K2[ 255:?8 E92E 9:D EH@ H:G6D 2?5 E9C66 D@?D C6>2:?65 2E 9@>6]k^Am
kAmQ%96 p>6C:42?D 2C6 @?=J E2C86E:?8 >:=:E2CJ :?DE2==2E:@?D[Q 96 D2:5 7C@> E96 G2DE 42C A2C< ?62C E96 4C@DD:?8[ H96C6 ;FDE a_ ECF4<D H6C6 H2:E:?8[ 4@>A2C65 E@ 9F?5C65D :? ?@C>2= 4:C4F>DE2?46D]k^Am
kAm$6CG:46D =:<6 H2E6C[ 82D 2?5 6=64EC:4:EJ H6C6 DE:== CF??:?8[ #6K2 DEC6DD65[ 2D H6C6 A9@?6D[ 3FE Q@?=J 7@C =@42= 4@??64E:@?DQ[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 5@>6DE:4 :?EC2?6E]k^Am
kAmx? 2 4@F?ECJ H9@D6 64@?@>J 92D 366? DF77@42E65 7@C J62CD 3J :?E6C?2E:@?2= D2?4E:@?D[ E96 H2C 92D 3C@F89E :>A@CED E@ 2 92=Ei E96 ECF4<D E92E FD65 E@ =62G6 7C@> E96 ?@CE9 ?@ =@?86C 8@ 5@H? E@ %69C2? @C q2?52C p332D[ 2 >2;@C xC2?:2? A@CE :? E96 D@FE9[ D2:5 #6K2[ H9@ FDF2==J 92F=D 7@@5 AC@5F4ED]k^Am
kAmQ!C:46D 92G6 8@?6 5@H?[ 6I46AE 7@C 49:4<6?[Q D2:5 p<32C y272C:[ bf[ 7C@> z6C>2?D929[ 2 7:G6\9@FC 5C:G6 2H2J]k^Am
kAm&?=:<6 #6K2[ 96 D6?E 9:D 72>:=J[ :?4=F5:?8 9:D H:76 2?5 D6G6?\J62C\@=5 D@?[ E@ 9:D 72E96C\:?\=2HVD :? E96 4@F?ECJD:56 H96? E96 DEC:<6D 3682?]k^Am
kAmQ%96 AC@3=6>D 2C6 :? E96 4:EJ 46?EC6[Q y272C: D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ p32?5@?65 4964<A@:?ED \k^9am
kAmQ%96 q2D:; WA2C2>:=:E2CJ 7@C46X 232?5@?65 E96 4964<A@:?ED E96J 925 D6E FA :? E96 4:EJ 27E6C E96 |29D2 p>:?: AC@E6DED[Q 96 D2:5[ C676CC:?8 E@ E96 a_aa >2DD 56>@?DEC2E:@?D DA2C<65 3J E96 562E9 :? 4FDE@5J @7 p>:?:[ H9@ 925 366? 2CC6DE65 7@C ?@E H62C:?8 2 9625D42C7 AC@A6C=J]k^Am
kAmQp?5 :? E96 6G6?:?8[ E96J =62G6 E96:C A@DED 7@C 762C @7 3@>3:?8[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{:76 92D 8C25F2==J D=@H65 5@H?[ H:E9 D49@@=D 4=@D65 D:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 2:C DEC:<6D 2?5 ?@E C6@A6?:?8 F?E:= 27E6C E96 3C62< 7@C }@HCFK[ E96 !6CD:2? }6H *62C[ DE2CE:?8 @? |2C49 a`]k^Am
kAmy272C: 2?5 #6K2 92G6 2=C625J 564:565 282:?DE 46=63C2E:?8 E96 :>A@CE2?E xC2?:2? 9@=:52J \\ E96 8@G6C?>6?E 92D 564=2C65 c_ 52JD @7 >@FC?:?8 7@==@H:?8 E96 562E9 @7 DFAC6>6 =6256C p=: z92>6?6: @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 E96 H2C]k^Am
kAmQp?J@?6 H9@ 46=63C2E6D }@HCFK H:== 36 :? D6C:@FD EC@F3=6[Q #6K2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ E96 ECF4< 5C:G6C D2:5 z92>6?6:VD 562E9 Q492?86D ?@E9:?8Q :? 9:D @H? =:76]k^Am
kAmQ(92E H6 H2?E :D D@>6@?6 H9@ ECF=J D6CG6D E96 A6@A=6]QÂ k^Am
kAm%9@F89 #6K2 QH2?ED E96 H2C E@ 6?5Q[ 96 D2:5 Q@?=J E96 p>6C:42?D 42? 492?86 E96 C68:>6Q[ H9:49 C646?E=J 4C24<65 5@H? @? 2 H2G6 @7 2?E:\8@G6C?>6?E AC@E6DED[Â =62G:?8 D6G6C2= E9@FD2?5 5625[ 244@C5:?8 E@ }v~D]k^Am
kAmu6==@H ECF4<6C +29665[ bf[ D2:5 E92E Q:? E96 7:CDE 76H 52JD[ A6@A=6 H6C6 G6CJ 27C2:5 @7 E96 3@>3:?8D[ 3FE J@F 86E FD65 E@ :Ei E96 ;6ED 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 7=J:?8 @G6C9625[ 52J 2?5 ?:89E[ 3FE :EVD =:<6 D66:?8 2 3:C5 4C@DD E96 D<JQ]Â k^Am
kAmw:D E@H? @7 |2C:H2?[ b_ <:=@>6EC6D W`g >:=6DX 7C@> q2D9>2CB[ H2D 3@>365[ 2?5 D6G6C2= 4:G:=:2?D H6C6 9:E[ 7@FC @7 H9@> 5:65[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQpE 7:CDE[ >2?J A6@A=6 =67E[ 3FE D:?46 E96? E96JVG6 4@>6 324<[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw:D H:76[ 9@H6G6C[ DE:== 8@6D E@ 96C 72E96CVD G:==286 H:E9 E96:C `_\ 2?5 d\J62C\@=5 49:=5C6? 2D D@@? 2D 96 9:ED E96 C@25i Q$96VD D42C65 H96? x =62G6]Qk^Am
kAmpD 96 4=:>365 324< :?E@ E96 423[ 96 25565i Q(6 FD65 E@ =:G6 H6== :? @FC E@H?[ 367@C6Q]k^Am
kAm249^E88^C3F^C9^D>H^;7Ik^Am
