Iraq: Baghdad Orders Maysan Council Audit After Border Dispute

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has ordered a financial investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council.

The directive was issued on Monday, October 26. It followed a public threat by Mustafa Da'ir, the council chairman, to initiate "civil disobedience" if the central government did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran. Da'ir set a three-day deadline for Baghdad to act before he would escalate his response by cutting the province off from the rest of the country.

The dispute began last week when authorities shut down the al-Shib crossing. An Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday that the closure allowed for upgrades to security and detection equipment at the site. Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, offered a different account to Kurdistan24. He stated that Washington requested the closure to limit transit to and from Iran and to block Tehran's efforts to strengthen its militias in Iraq.

Tensions on the ground increased as dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that these demonstrations were intended to voice opposition to the border shutdown. The Badr bloc, an Iraqi Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister's call for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that the group argued the closure was hurting the regional economy. Badr also warned that a prolonged dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and the province.

The Badr bloc urged the government to step up efforts against alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region. The standoff occurs while a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has left Iran more dependent on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan for its shipments. Tehran condemned the al-Shib closure and rejected allegations that the crossing was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.