Iraqi PM orders probe: Maysan council faces scrutiny after border threat

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The action followed a threat by council chairman Mustafa Da’ir, who warned of “civil disobedience” if Baghdad kept the al-Shib border crossing with Iran closed. Iraqi officials and media reports confirmed the directive.

The crossing was shut last week for security upgrades to detection equipment, according to an Iraqi official speaking to Reuters on Wednesday. Salwan Taha Akreyi, a Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker, offered a different account to Kurdistan24. He stated that Baghdad closed the border at Washington’s request. The goal, he said, was to restrict transit to Iran and hinder Tehran’s efforts to strengthen its militias in Iraq.

Da’ir gave Baghdad a three-day deadline to reverse the decision before escalating his response. He warned that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country. Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to oppose the closure, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that the bloc argued the closure was harming the local economy. They warned that prolonging the dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and the province. The group 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 for shipments. Tehran has strongly condemned the closure. The Iranian government rejected allegations that the al-Shib crossing had been used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.