Perwezxan border gate was closed by Iran before the independence referendum on September 25 in Southern Kurdistan. The decision affected the Kurdish population in Iran as well as people of Southern Kurdistan.

After Iraq’s Constitutional Court cancelled the results of the referendum and capture of Kirkuk, Iranian officials said that they will reopen Perwezxan but the border gate remains closed.

Bordering Kermanshah region is the worst affected by the decision where thousands of people’s jobs are dependent on border trade.

The head of Kermanshah Chamber of Commerce Keyvan Kasifi said that three thousand people lost their jobs because of Iran’s decision to close Perwezxan border gate. According to Kasifi the region is in an economic crisis because of the closure and the destruction caused by 12 November earthquake.