Iranian official: Raisi to visit Iraq soon

Shafaq News/ Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will pay an official visit to Iraq, the head of Iran's Central Headquarters for the Arbaeen Pilgrimage, Mir Ahmadi, announced on Monday.

The exact date of the visit has not yet been set.

Ahmadi said that Iran and Iraq have agreed to establish a joint committee to address the issue of road accidents, which have been a major cause of death during the Arbaeen pilgrimage in recent years.

The Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the killing of Hussein bin Ali—the third Imam in the Shiite doctrine and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Millions of pilgrims from around the world, particularly from Iran, travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala each year to participate in the event.

Road accidents killed more than 4,900 people last year in Iraq, an average of 13 per day, according to health ministry data.