Iraqi PM Opens Probe After Maysan Threatens to Seal Roads

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into Maysan's provincial council head on Monday.

The probe targets Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, who threatened to block roads connecting the southeastern province to the rest of Iraq. Mohammedawi issued the warning on Sunday, stating that Maysan would resort to civil disobedience if the Sheeb border crossing with Iran did not reopen by Thursday. He declared that the people of the province would be forced to close all roads and effectively cut the region off from the national network.

Baghdad closed the crossing, known as Chazabeh in Iran, last Wednesday. Government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi stated the site lacked necessary technical and technological preparations. An Iraqi border official told Reuters that the closure allows authorities to review security arrangements and install detection equipment to stop smuggling. Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, a prime ministerial adviser, claimed drugs and currency were entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings, citing uncontrolled groups as a potential cause.

Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected the allegations on Saturday, calling them false. The embassy urged Iraqi authorities to respond to statements that could harm bilateral relations. The closure has impacted the local economy, as Maysan is a Shiite-majority province where the capital, Amarah, serves as a commercial hub near the border. Truck drivers and other protesters gathered near the crossing to demand its reopening.

Lawmaker Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji questioned the legal basis for the investigation. He argued that only the provincial council can remove its chairman by majority vote. In Baghdad, demonstrators gathered on October 25 to mark the anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen movement. Participants waved Iraqi flags and called for political and economic reforms, opposing the muhasasa system of sectarian quotas.

Rights organizations report that more than 600 protesters were killed during the 2019 movement, with approximately 20,000 injured and 3,000 arrested. The Badr Organization, an Iranian-backed group, was accused of suppressing the protests. Leader Hadi al-Amiri defended the group in late August, describing the protests as sedition. Activist Muntadhar al-Zaidi called for justice over the killings and criticized the concentration of political power.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq accused the government of yielding to Washington's demands regarding border crossings. The National House party called for peaceful demonstrations to end corruption and bring weapons under state control.