Maysan Council Faces Probe

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi launched an investigation into the Maysan Provincial Council on Monday. The order followed a threat from 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 crossing last week to upgrade security and detection equipment, according to an Iraqi official speaking to Reuters on Wednesday. Salwan Taha Akreyi, a lawmaker from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, offered a different account. He told Kurdistan24 that Washington requested the closure to limit transit and block Tehran's efforts to strengthen its militias in Iraq.

Da'ir set a three-day deadline for the government to act before he would escalate his response. He warned that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to regional oil companies to voice their opposition to the closure.

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

The standoff occurs as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has increased Iran's reliance on land routes through Iraq and Pakistan. Tehran strongly condemned the al-Shib closure and rejected allegations that the site was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency.