Iraqi Prime Minister Orders Probe of Maysan Council Over Threats After Iran Border Crossing Shutdown

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council, according to Iraqi officials and media reports. The move came on Monday, after the council's chairman, Mustafa Da'ir, threatened "civil disobedience" if Baghdad did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran.

Authorities shut the crossing last week. An Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday that the closure was meant to allow upgrades to security and detection equipment at the site.

A different explanation came from Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker from the Kurdistan Democratic Party. He told Kurdistan24 that Baghdad closed the crossing at the request of Washington, with the aim of limiting transit to and from Iran and blocking Tehran's efforts to strengthen its militias in Iraq.

Da'ir responded by threatening unrest and warning that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country. He gave Baghdad a three-day deadline before he would escalate his response.

Asharq Al-Awsat reported that dozens of protesters also blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region to voice their opposition to the closure.

The Badr bloc, an Iraqi Shiite Islamist group, reportedly rejected the prime minister's call for an investigation. Shafaq News, an independent Iraqi outlet, reported that the group argued the closure was hurting the region's economy. It also warned that a prolonged dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and the province.

Badr also reportedly urged the government to step up efforts against alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The standoff comes as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has left Iran more dependent on land routes through neighboring Iraq and Pakistan for its shipments. Tehran has strongly condemned the closure of the al-Shib crossing and rejected allegations that it had been used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.