Iraqi PM Ali Al-Zaidi Orders Probe After Al-Shib Crossing Closes

Baghdad authorities shut the al-Shib border crossing with Iran last week to install new security and detection equipment. The move triggered a dispute between the central government and Maysan Province that escalated on Monday.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council following the closure. The probe targets the council after its chairman, Mustafa Da’ir, threatened to initiate civil disobedience if Baghdad kept the crossing closed.

Da’ir set a three-day deadline for Baghdad to act before he would escalate his response. He warned that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country to force the government’s hand.

Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi stated that the closure was requested by Washington. He argued the move aims to restrict transit to Iran and prevent Tehran from strengthening its militias in Iraq. This context matters because the Strait of Hormuz blockade has increased Iran’s reliance on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for shipments.

Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region to mark their opposition to the closure. The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an investigation. The bloc argued the closure harms the regional economy and warned that a prolonged dispute could damage relations between Baghdad and the province.

The Badr bloc also urged the government to combat smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region. Tehran has condemned the closure, rejecting allegations that the al-Shib crossing was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.