A general view of Abadan city in southwest Iran, is pictured from Iraqi side of Shatt al-Arab in Al-Faw south of Basra, Iraq September 21, 2019. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani 

Busra Korkmaz (L), 20, Ozlem Ozderya (R), 20 and Berfin Abadan (R top), 21, chat onboard the Eastern Express travelling through Kayseri province en route from Ankara to Kars, Turkey, April 9, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas SEARCH "BEKTAS EXPRESS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

The Rania ferry travels in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway in Iraq's southern province of Basra, during its first trip as part of a transport link between Iraq and Iran November 4, 2013. The first river transport link between Iraq and Iran for more than 30 years was inaugurated recently with the docking of the passenger ferry carrying Iranian officials at the Iraqi port city of Basra. The service will operate between Iran's city of Abadan and Iraq's Basra, resuming a river navigation line which is the first of its kind between the two neighbouring countries since 1980. Picture taken November 4. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: TRAVEL POLITICS MARITIME) 

The Rania ferry travels in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway in Iraq's southern province of Basra, during its first trip as part of a transport link between Iraq and Iran November 4, 2013. The first river transport link between Iraq and Iran for more than 30 years was inaugurated recently with the docking of the passenger ferry carrying Iranian officials at the Iraqi port city of Basra. The service will operate between Iran's city of Abadan and Iraq's Basra, resuming a river navigation line which is the first of its kind between the two neighbouring countries since 1980. Picture taken November 4. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: TRAVEL POLITICS MARITIME) 

Women stand next to a picture of war veterans as they visit a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A woman poses for a photograph with cardboard cutout pictures of war veterans at a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A woman wearing a Palestinian scarf visits a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

Two women walk past a religious flag bearing the name of Prophet Mohammad while visiting a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT RELIGION POLITICS) 

A woman adjusts her Palestinian scarf at a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A girl sits next to religious flags as she visits a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A cleric visits a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY POLITICS CONFLICT) 

A man who is a member of Iran's basij militia stands near religious flags at a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A woman wearing a Palestinian scarf looks on at a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY POLITICS CONFLICT) 

Women look at a mosque in Iraq, as they attend a war memorial site in Iran's Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A vendor displays religious posters for sale at a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS) 

A woman stands behind religious flags bearing the name of Imam Hussein while attending a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN ANNIVERSARY CONFLICT POLITICS IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE) 

Women wearing Palestinian scarves attend a war memorial site in Khoozestan province near the Iraqi border, 1,345 km (841 miles) southwest of Tehran, March 19, 2009. Iranians visit the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) during the last week of the Iranian calendar to remember martyrs who died in the war. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN POLITICS ANNIVERSARY) 

Gas burns off at the Shaiba oil refinery, supplier of petrol and other oil derivatives for the whole of southern Iraq, located about 20 kms (12 miles) south of Basra July 24, 2005. Last week Iran and Iraq signed an oil deal they hope would pave the way to further diplomatic rapprochement between them. Iraq signed a preliminary agreement to export 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from the southern city of Basra to Abadan refinery in southwest Iran, a spokeswoman for Iran's oil ministry said. REUTERS/Atef Hassan RCS/DY 

Iraq's Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum speaks during an interview at the oil ministry in Baghdad June 28, 2005. Iraq could sign a deal to build a twin pipeline across its eastern border to Iran's Abadan refinery in two or three weeks time, al-Uloum said on Tuesday. Picture taken June 28, 2005. REUTERS/Faleh Kheiber 

Iraq's Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum gestures during an interview at the oil ministry in Baghdad June 28, 2005. Iraq could sign a deal to build a twin pipeline across its eastern border to Iran's Abadan refinery in two or three weeks time, al-Uloum said on Tuesday. Picture taken June 28, 2005. REUTERS/Faleh Kheiber 

*FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE IRAQ-IRAN-BORDER - Iranian general store
owner Mohammad Ali (L) and another man watch television coverage of the
war in neighbouring Iraq inside his grocery store in the border city of
Abadan on March 31, 2003. The store owner lost a son in the 1980-1988
Iran-Iraq war but like many citizens of this border city, just 30 miles
(48 km) from Basra) has mixed feelings about the current war. Abadan
saw some of the fiercest fighting in the Iran-Iraq war so residents
have no sympathy for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but are generally
opposed to the U.S.-led attack on Iraq. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl
REUTERS

PJH 

FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE IRAQ-IRAN-BORDER - A group of Iranian women
and children stand and sit next to the river which separates Iran from
Iraq as a soldier walks by in the southwestern border city of Abadan on
March 31, 2003. The river is known as the Arvand in Iran and Shatt
al-Arab in Iraq. Fighting in neighbouring Iraq has brought back
memories of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war in this region of Iran which
endured some of the fiercest fighting during that conflict. Most
Iranians have mixed feelings about the current war. They have no
sympathy for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but are generally opposed
to the U.S.-led attack on Iraq. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl

PJH 

An oil refinery depot in Iran's southwestern town of Abadan, on March
23, 2003, which Iranian authorities said was hit on March 21 by an
errant U.S. missile. Washington did not confirm this but said it was
treating seriously reports some missiles intended for Iraqi targets had
gone astray and landed in Iran. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi

CJF/CRB 

Armed troops man the gate of the residence of assasinated Nigerian
justice minister

Bola Ige in Bodija, Ibadan in the southwest of Nigeria on Christmas
day, December 25 2001. Bodija was assassinated on Sunday night,
December 23, in his home. REUTERS/George Esiri