Iran is ready to host Syrian tourists who are able to travel outside of their war-torn country, Morteza Rahmani Movahed, deputy for tourism affairs at Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, told IRNA. “Officials from Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization visited Syria recently and held talks with Syrian authorities to make necessary arrangements for Syrians to visit Iran,” Movahed said, noting that only those who have the necessary paperwork will be allowed to enter Iran. He pointed to the two states’ longstanding relations and said Syria has been a top destination for Iranian pilgrims over the past four decades. But visits to that country dried up after the civil strife and instability in that country since the spring of 2011. The news comes amid reports that the so-called Islamic State militants could be disguising themselves as refugees in order to reach countries that have been supporting the global campaign against their despicable brutality and reign of terror in the strategic region, Syria and Iraq in particular. Iran’s emphasis on only allowing Syrians whose paperwork is in order shows that officials are at least aware of the risks and possible threat.
