Baghdad Audit Follows Maysan Threat to Isolate Province

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. This decision followed a warning from council chairman Mustafa Da'ir that he would stage civil disobedience if Baghdad did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran.

Security and detection equipment upgrades cited as the reason for the closure last week. An Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday that the shutdown was necessary for these upgrades. Lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi of 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.

Da'ir gave Baghdad a three-day deadline before escalating his response. He warned that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country. Dozens of protesters also blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to voice their opposition to the closure, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Badr bloc rejected the prime minister's call for an investigation. Shafaq News reported that the Shiite Islamist group argued the closure was hurting the local economy. The bloc also warned that a prolonged dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and the province. Badr urged the government to step up efforts against alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The standoff occurs while the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz leaves Iran more dependent on land routes through neighboring Iraq and Pakistan for its shipments. Tehran strongly condemned the closure of the al-Shib crossing and rejected allegations that the site was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.