HAJI OMERAN, Iraq — Dozens of Iranians crossed into northern Iraq Sunday, seeking cheaper groceries, internet access, and work opportunities after the border reopened.
Travelers cited constant airstrikes and soaring food prices as reasons for their desperation, with trucks laden with goods from Iraq's Kurdish region offering a respite from high costs on the Iranian side.
A Kurdish woman from Piranshahr crossed the border to contact her relatives and stock up on essentials, saying many Iranians buy Iraqi SIM cards to connect and call family and friends abroad due to internet outages.
An elderly woman, who had lost her son to Iranian soldiers, walked alone across the border seeking help from distant relatives in Iraq's Kurdish region.
Iranian workers from three cities returned from a visit home, heading back to their jobs in the Iraqi Kurdish region to make enough money to manage rising costs back home.
