Al-Zaidi orders probe of Maysan council over border standoff

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi directed an inquiry into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The order followed a warning from Council Chairman Mustafa Da'ir that the province would engage in civil disobedience if Baghdad did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran.

Authorities shut the crossing the previous week. An Iraqi official told Reuters that the closure allows for upgrades to security and detection equipment. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi told Kurdistan24 that Baghdad closed the site at Washington's request. Akreyi stated the aim is to limit transit to and from Iran and block Tehran's efforts to strengthen its militias inside Iraq.

Da'ir set a three-day deadline for Baghdad to act before he escalates his response. He threatened to cut the province off from the rest of the country. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to voice opposition to the closure.

The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister's call for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that the group argued the closure is hurting the region's economy. The bloc warned that a prolonged dispute risks damaging relations between Baghdad and the province. It also urged the government to step up efforts against alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The standoff occurs as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has increased Iran's dependence on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for shipments. Tehran condemned the closure of the al-Shib crossing and rejected allegations that the site was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.