BAGHDAD, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian authorities blocked Saturday a border crossing to passengers in southern Iraq amid protests in Iran after the Iranian government started Friday rationing of subsidized gasoline and increased its prices.

Alaa al-Din al-Qaysi, spokesman of the Iraqi Border Crossing Board, told Xinhua that "al-Shalamjah border crossing has been blocked to all passengers from Iraq to Iran, but still opened for commercial trucks from both sides."

The Iraqi passengers in the Iranian side can cross into Iraq as normal, al-Qaysi said, pointing out that the closure of the border crossing came in response to Iranian request due to the anti-government protests inside Iran.