PM orders probe after border threat

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The move followed a threat by Council Chairman Mustafa Da’ir, who warned of civil disobedience if Baghdad kept the al-Shib border crossing with Iran shut.

Authorities closed the crossing last week to upgrade security and detection equipment. However, Salwan Taha Akreyi, a Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker, told Kurdistan24 that Baghdad acted at Washington’s request. He stated the goal was to restrict transit to and from Iran and stop Tehran from strengthening its militias.

Da’ir responded by warning he would cut the province off from the rest of the country. He gave Baghdad a three-day deadline before escalating his response. Dozens of protesters also blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region to protest the closure, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Shiite Islamist Badr bloc rejected Zaidi’s call for an investigation. The group argued the closure was harming the region’s economy and warned that prolonging the dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and the province. Badr also urged the government to intensify efforts to combat alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

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