Main border crossing between Jordan and Iraq reopens three years after Islamic State seized control

The crossing, called Turaibil in Iraq and al-Karameh in Jordan, was reopened after it was "secured... against attacks by criminal gangs," the two countries' governments said in a joint statement.

The border crossing is part of a crucial route linking the Iraqi and Jordanian capitals, and its reopening comes after Iraqi forces managed to retake most of the territory seized by IS in 2014.

The route passes through the vast desert province of Anbar, where IS maintains some of its last bastions, including the towns of Rawa, Aanah and al-Qaim, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the border post.

But the reopening of the post is a sign of increasing stability in the area and the restoration of commercial traffic will be important for the economies of both countries.

The post is 370 kilometres (230 miles) from Amman and 570 kilometres (350 miles) from Baghdad.

Iraq is bordered by Jordan and Syria to the west, Iran to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south. 

The latest move comes days after Amman announced it is seeking to reopen border crossings with Syria.

The two countries share a 370 kilometre border with each other but most crossing points have been closed since the start of Syria's war in 2011.

"Our relations with the Syrian state and regime are going in the right direction," Jordan's government spokesman Mohamed Momani said on television on Friday night.

Momani highlighted the "stability" of the situation in southern Syria, across the border from Jordan.

Jordan's economy has been severely affected by the closure of borders with Iraq and Syria, which are both at war.

The United Nations says Jordan is hosting more than 650,000 Syrian refugees, while the kingdom puts their actual number at 1.4 million.