Al-Zaidi Orders Probe Into Maysan Council After Border Standoff

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi launched a formal inquiry into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The move came after council chairman Mustafa Da’ir warned of civil disobedience if the al-Shib border crossing with Iran remained shut.

The crossing closed last week during an upgrade of security and detection systems, according to an Iraqi official. However, Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, told Kurdistan24 that Washington requested the shutdown. He argued the move aimed to restrict transit to Iran and hinder Tehran’s efforts to strengthen its militias inside Iraq.

Da’ir gave Baghdad a three-day deadline to resolve the issue before escalating his response. He threatened to cut the province off from the rest of the country. Meanwhile, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to local oil companies to voice their frustration over the closure.

The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist political group, rejected the prime minister’s call for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that the bloc argued the closure was already harming the regional economy. They warned that prolonging the dispute could damage relations between the capital and the province. Badr also urged the government to focus on combating smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The standoff occurs as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz increases Iran’s dependence on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan. Tehran has strongly condemned the al-Shib closure, rejecting claims that the crossing served as a route for drugs and counterfeit currency.