Baghdad investigates Maysan council after border standoff

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered a formal investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The move follows a threat by council chairman Mustafa Da’ir to launch civil disobedience if Baghdad kept the al-Shib border crossing with Iran closed.

Authorities closed the crossing last week to upgrade security and detection equipment, according to an Iraqi official. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi claimed the closure was requested by Washington to limit transit to Iran and hinder Tehran’s militia expansion.

Da’ir gave Baghdad a three-day deadline before escalating his response. He warned that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country. Dozens of protesters also blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to demand the crossing reopen.

The Badr bloc, a major Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an inquiry. The bloc argued the closure was harming the local economy and warned that prolonging the dispute would damage relations between Baghdad and Maysan. They also urged the government to crack down on smuggling through unofficial crossings in Kurdistan.

The timing of the closure coincides with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This has increased Iran’s dependence on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for shipments. Tehran has strongly condemned the al-Shib closure, rejecting claims that the crossing was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.