Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Reza Salehi Amiri, announced on Wednesday that Iraq is among the priority countries in Iran’s plans to attract foreign tourists, following a significant decline in tourism due to the recent war.

In a press statement, Salehi Amiri explained that the new strategy places Iraq in the second group of target countries, alongside Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. He emphasized that the Iraqi market is one of the most important sources of Iranian tourism, particularly through religious visits and medical tourism.

The minister noted that Iran welcomed over 1.2 million medical tourists last year, generating nearly $2 billion in revenue. He added that the country aims to increase this number by strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries, especially Iraq.

He affirmed that his programs aim to raise the number of foreign tourists to between 9.5 and 10 million by the end of 2025, stressing that collaboration with Iraq will be central to achieving this goal.