Baghdad probes Maysan council after border shutdown

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The probe follows threats from council chairman Mustafa Da’ir, who warned of civil disobedience if Baghdad kept the al-Shib border crossing with Iran closed.

Iraqi officials told Reuters that authorities shut the crossing last week to upgrade security and detection equipment. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi told Kurdistan24 that the closure was a move requested by Washington. Akreyi claimed the goal was to restrict transit to Iran and thwart Tehran’s efforts to strengthen its militias inside Iraq.

Da’ir gave the central government a three-day deadline to resolve the issue. He threatened to cut the province off from the rest of the country if his demands were not met. Dozens of protesters also blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region to demand the crossing reopen, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that Badr argued the closure was harming the regional economy. The bloc warned that prolonging the dispute could damage relations between Baghdad and Maysan. They also urged the government to intensify efforts against smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

Tehran strongly condemned the closure. The Iranian government rejected allegations that the al-Shib crossing had been used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency. The shutdown occurs as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has increased Iran’s reliance on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for shipments.