Al-Zaidi orders probe into Maysan council after al-Shib closure

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 to initiate “civil disobedience” if the al-Shib border crossing with Iran remained closed. Da’ir gave Baghdad a three-day deadline to reopen the gate before escalating the response, a window that has now lapsed.

The crossing was shut down last week for security upgrades. An Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday that authorities installed new detection equipment. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi provided a different account to Kurdistan24. He stated that Baghdad closed the gate at the request of Washington. The goal, according to Akreyi, was to restrict transit to and from Iran and hinder Tehran’s efforts to strengthen its militias inside Iraq.

Protesters joined the standoff. Dozens of demonstrators blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region, according to Asharq Al-Awsat. The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected Al-Zaidi’s call for an investigation. Citing Shafaq News, the bloc argued that the closure was harming the regional economy. It warned that prolonging the dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and the province.

Badr also urged the government to increase efforts to combat alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region. The closure occurs while the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has increased Iran’s reliance on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan. Tehran has strongly condemned the shutdown. It rejected allegations that the al-Shib crossing had been used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.