ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 11,000 people have returned to the Kurdistan Region since the outbreak of conflict between Iran and Israel, a border official said on Thursday. Many citizens from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region remain stranded abroad as Iraqi airspace remains closed due to the ongoing hostilities. The returnees from Iran entered the Kurdistan Region through the Haji Omaran border crossing in Erbil province. "Since June 13, citizens have been returning in droves to the Kurdistan Region, who had gone to Iran for travel," Sirwan Hussein, spokesperson for Haji Omaran international border crossing, told Rudaw. He noted that travel to Iran had surged prior to the escalation, but the war triggered a sharp reversal, with thousands now returning through the Haji Omaran crossing. The Kurdistan Region has four official border crossings with Iran: Haji Omaran in Erbil province, Bashmakh in Sulaimani province, Parvezkhan in the Garmiyan administration, and Shushme in Halabja. There are also numerous unofficial border points. Iraq closed its airspace on Friday after Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, killing several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran has since responded with multiple waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli territory.
