ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – US strikes on the Shalamcheh border crossing, linking Iraq’s Basra to Iran’s Khuzestan, killed at least two people and injured 11 others, Khuzestan’s deputy governor said Thursday, adding that the crossing remained operational despite the attack.

In early Thursday at around 3:00 am local time, reports of a heavy explosion emerged at the Shalamcheh border crossing in Khuzestan, with footage circulating on social media showing thick smoke and flames rising from the key crossing.

Khuzestan Deputy Governor for Security Affairs Valiollah Hayati confirmed the attack in a statement carried by Iranian state media, saying that “two of our fellow citizens were martyred and 11 were injured.”

Iranian state media reported that all necessary emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene.

The Shalamcheh border is a major crossing between Iran and Iraq's Basra province, serving as a key point for trade, travel, and security operations along the shared frontier.

Valiollah said operations at the Shalamcheh border crossing “are still ongoing,” despite the attack, as emergency teams remained on site.

The Shalamcheh border crossing was previously targeted in April, killing an Iraqi citizen and injuring several others. All activity was halted at the crossing following the incident.

Following the April attack, the commercial facilities at Shalamcheh were severely damaged, with some reports claiming that pro‑Iranian Iraqi militia fighters were crossing the border at the time of the attack, though the details were not independently verified.

The developments follow as the US and Iran have exchanged strikes for more than ten consecutive nights after Washington declared an end to the peace deal, accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire.

The US has mainly targeted sites in southern Iran near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while Iran has launched attacks against regional countries hosting what it alleges are US military bases.