Al-Zaidi probes Maysan council after border standoff

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The probe follows a threat by council chairman Mustafa Da’ir to initiate "civil disobedience" if Baghdad continues to close the al-Shib border crossing with Iran.

The closure began last week during a security and equipment upgrade, according to an Iraqi official speaking to Reuters on Wednesday. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi told Kurdistan24 that Washington requested the shutdown. The goal, Akreyi said, was to restrict transit to and from Iran and hinder Tehran’s efforts to strengthen its militias in Iraq.

Da’ir gave the federal government a three-day deadline to resolve the issue. He warned that if the deadline passed, Maysan would cut itself off from the rest of the country. Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to demonstrate against the closure, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Shiite Badr bloc rejected Al-Zaidi’s call for an inquiry. The group argued that the closure is harming the local economy and that the dispute risks damaging relations between Baghdad and the province, according to Shafaq News. Badr also urged the government to combat smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The standoff occurs while Iran relies on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran condemned the closure and rejected claims that the al-Shib crossing was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.