Joint Statement on the Reported Strike Near the Shalamcheh Border Crossing

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned by reports of a missile strike near the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq, one of the principal transit points for pilgrims traveling to Iraq for Arbaeen.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, citing Khuzestan Deputy Governor for Security and Law Enforcement Valiollah Hayati, a strike near the Shalamcheh passenger terminal killed two people. Iranian officials attributed the strike to the United States. The Associated Press also reported the Iranian state media account that two people were killed in a strike near Shalamcheh. The circumstances of the reported attack have not been independently established.

Shalamcheh is one of the most important border crossings used by Shia Muslims traveling into Iraq to perform ziyarat and participate in Arbaeen. Every year, millions of pilgrims pass through the crossing on their way to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. In addition to large numbers of Iranian pilgrims, the crossing is widely used by pilgrims from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries who travel through Iran before entering Iraq.

Those passing through Shalamcheh include families, children, elderly worshippers, volunteers, medical personnel, humanitarian workers, and other civilians making the pilgrimage to Karbala.

Arbaeen marks the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. For more than one thousand years, Muslims have observed Arbaeen through peaceful acts of worship, prayer, mourning, charity, and service. Today, it is recognized as one of the largest annual religious gatherings, drawing millions of worshippers from across the globe.

We call on the United States to work with relevant governments, humanitarian organizations, and other parties to protect innocent civilians traveling to Iraq for Arbaeen. Millions of men, women, children, and elderly worshippers will soon travel through crossings such as Shalamcheh solely to participate in a peaceful religious observance that has endured for more than one thousand years. They are civilians and noncombatants whose purpose is to practice their faith. Their safety must remain paramount.

We call on all parties to the conflict to recognize the humanitarian importance of the routes used by Arbaeen pilgrims. Border crossings, passenger terminals, pilgrimage roads, rest stations, medical facilities, and humanitarian service areas supporting worshippers must be protected from the effects of military operations. Every feasible precaution must be taken to prevent civilian casualties and preserve safe passage for people engaged in peaceful religious worship.

Religious freedom does not cease during armed conflict. International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilians and to take constant care to spare the civilian population. Millions of peaceful worshippers undertaking one of the oldest continuous religious pilgrimages deserve to do so without fear of violence.

We also call for a prompt, transparent, and impartial investigation into the reported strike, including the circumstances of the attack, the identities of those killed or injured, and its effects on civilians traveling through the Shalamcheh crossing.

As millions prepare for this sacred pilgrimage, we urge governments and the international community to affirm that protecting innocent worshippers is a shared humanitarian responsibility. The sanctity of human life and the freedom to practice one’s faith peacefully must remain above the violence of armed conflict.

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