Agreement With Iraq to Build Highway to Najaf

Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement to build a highway from the Iranian border city of Mehran to the southern city of Najaf in Iraq.
According to Roads and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami, a preliminary deal has been reached with the Iraqi side to build the 354-kilometer highway that would ease traffic across the border and help boost trade between the two neighboring countries.
Najaf is a city in central Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. The capital of Najaf Governorate is widely considered the third holiest city by Shia Muslims (after Mecca and Medina), as it is home to the burial site of Imam Ali (PBUH).
The city, alongside Karbala, is considered a thriving pilgrimage destination and the pilgrimage industry in the city boomed after the end of the despotic Saddam's rule.