Baghdad probes Maysan council after border standoff

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered a formal probe into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday.

The decision followed a warning from council chairman Mustafa Da'ir, who threatened to launch a campaign of civil disobedience if Baghdad did not reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran.

Da'ir set a three-day deadline for the government to act. He warned that failing to meet the deadline would trigger an escalation where the province cuts itself off from the national grid.

Authorities closed the crossing last week. An Iraqi official told Reuters that the shutdown was necessary to upgrade security and detection equipment at the site.

Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, offered a different account. He told Kurdistan24 that Washington requested the closure to limit transit to Iran and block Tehran's efforts to strengthen its militias inside Iraq.

Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to voice opposition to the shutdown, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Badr bloc, a Shiite Islamist group, rejected the prime minister's call for an investigation. The group argued that the closure is hurting the local economy and warned that a prolonged dispute could damage relations between Baghdad and Maysan.

Badr also urged the government to increase efforts against 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 Iraq and Pakistan. Tehran condemned the closure of al-Shib and rejected claims that the crossing was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.