Iraqi PM launches probe after border standoff

Three days. That is the deadline Maysan Provincial Council chairman Mustafa Da’ir gave Baghdad on Monday before escalating his response to the closure of the al-Shib border crossing with Iran. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered a formal investigation into the council on the same day, according to officials and local media.

Da’ir threatened civil disobedience and warned he would cut the province off from the rest of the country if the crossing remained closed. Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region to demonstrate against the shutdown, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an inquiry. They argued the closure was hurting the local economy and warned that a prolonged dispute could damage ties between Baghdad and the province.

The al-Shib crossing closed last week while authorities upgraded security and detection equipment. An Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday that the shutdown was part of a standard maintenance effort. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi offered a different account to Kurdistan24. He said Baghdad closed the gate at Washington’s request to limit transit to Iran and stop Tehran from strengthening its militias in Iraq.

The dispute occurs against a backdrop of rising tension in the region. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed Iran to rely more heavily on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for shipments. Tehran has condemned the closure, denying that the crossing was used to move drugs or counterfeit currency.

The investigation focuses on the conduct of the Maysan Provincial Council. The Badr bloc also urged the government to tighten controls on smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region. The status of the al-Shib crossing remains unchanged as the inquiry proceeds.