People of 17 Countries Visit Iran’s Former War Zones
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Nationals from 17 countries have visited Iran’s southwestern border areas that used to be war zones during the Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s, a military official said.
750 foreign visitors from 17 countries have travelled to the southwestern province of Khuzestan since February 20, General Hassan Shahvarpour, a provincial IRGC commander told Tasnim.
Earlier this month, Lieutenant Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) Force General Ali Fazli said around six million people are expected to travel during the Iranian year-end period to the former war zones.
The annual excursions to the former war zones are part of a broad cultural program in Iran to familiarize people, particularly the young generation, with the Iranian soldiers’ bravery during eight years of imposed war under former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1980s.
In March 2014, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei also paid a visit to the southwestern province of Khuzestan, where he said the annual trips to the former war zones is a perfect opportunity to relive the memory of Iranian soldiers’ devotion to their country and commemorate the veterans and characters that played significant roles during the 8-year-long imposed war.