Baghdad probes Maysan border standoff

Tensions between Baghdad and Maysan province escalated following a three-day ultimatum issued by local leadership. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered a formal investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The move came after council chairman Mustafa Da’ir threatened to declare civil disobedience if the central government kept the al-Shib border crossing with Iran closed.

The al-Shib crossing closed last week during upgrades to security and detection equipment, according to an Iraqi official speaking to Reuters. However, Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, told Kurdistan24 that Baghdad shut the border at Washington’s request. Akreyi said the closure aims to restrict transit to and from Iran and prevent Tehran from strengthening its militias within Iraq.

Da’ir warned that he would sever the province’s ties with the rest of the country if Baghdad did not act. Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to demonstrate against the shutdown, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat. The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist political group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an investigation. The group argued the closure harms the local economy and risks damaging relations between Baghdad and Maysan, according to Shafaq News.

Badr also urged the government to crack down on smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region. The dispute coincides with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has increased Iran’s dependence on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan. Tehran has condemned the al-Shib closure and rejected claims that the crossing was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.