Al-Zaidi orders audit of Maysan council following Iran border standoff

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi directed an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The decision followed a three-day ultimatum issued by council chairman Mustafa Da'ir, who warned of civil disobedience if Baghdad did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran.

Authorities closed the checkpoint the previous week to upgrade security and detection equipment, according to an Iraqi official. However, Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, offered a different account. He told Kurdistan24 that Washington requested the closure to limit transit to Iran and hinder Tehran's efforts to reinforce its militias.

Da'ir reacted by threatening to cut Maysan off from the rest of the country. Dozens of protesters joined the pressure campaign by blocking roads leading to regional oil companies, per reports from Asharq Al-Awsat. The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, publicly rejected the prime minister's call for an inquiry. Shafaq News reported that the group argued the shutdown was damaging the local economy and warned the dispute could strain Baghdad-Maysan relations.

The political friction occurs while the Strait of Hormuz blockade forces Iran to rely more heavily on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for shipments. Tehran has condemned the al-Shib closure and denied allegations that the crossing served as a hub for drug trafficking and counterfeit currency.