Baghdad orders check on Maysan leaders after Iran road standoff

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered a review of the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The decision followed a threat from council chairman Mustafa Da'ir, who declared a state of civil disobedience if Baghdad did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran. Da'ir gave the central government a three-day deadline before he would cut the province off from the rest of the country.

Authorities closed the crossing last week. An Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday that the shutdown allows for upgrades to security and detection equipment. However, Kurdistan Democratic Party lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi offered a different account. He told Kurdistan24 that Washington requested the closure to limit transit to and from Iran. Akreyi said the move aims to block Tehran from strengthening its militias inside Iraq.

Protesters in the region blocked roads leading to local oil companies to voice their opposition. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that dozens of residents took part in these road closures. The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group in parliament, rejected the prime minister’s order for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that the group argued the closure is already hurting the regional economy. The bloc warned that a prolonged dispute could damage relations between Baghdad and the province. It also urged the government to target alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The dispute occurs while the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded. This situation has made Iran more reliant on land routes through neighboring Iraq and Pakistan for shipments. Tehran strongly condemned the closure of the al-Shib crossing. The government in Iran also rejected claims that the route was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.