Iraqi PM Orders Audit of Maysan Council After Three-Day Deadline

Ordinary residents of Maysan province now face a formal state audit of their local leadership after a dispute over a key trade route with Iran. Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered the investigation on Monday, according to Iraqi officials and media reports. The move followed a public ultimatum issued by Mustafa Da'ir, the chairman of the Maysan Provincial Council.

Da'ir gave Baghdad three days to reopen the al-Shib border crossing before he would trigger "civil disobedience." He warned that he would cut the province off from the rest of the country if his demands were not met. The deadline has placed immediate pressure on the central government to resolve the standoff.

Authorities shut the crossing last week to upgrade security and detection equipment, an Iraqi official told Reuters on Wednesday. However, lawmaker Salwan Taha Akreyi offered a different account. Told to Kurdistan24, Akreyi said that Washington requested the closure to limit transit to and from Iran and to block Tehran's efforts to strengthen its militias in the country.

The dispute has sparked local economic strain and political friction. Dozens of protesters blocked roads leading to oil companies in the region to oppose the closure, 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 was hurting the regional economy and warned that the dispute risked damaging relations between Baghdad and Maysan.

The al-Shib crossing serves as a critical land route for Iranian shipments while the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded. Tehran has condemned the closure and rejected allegations that the site was used to traffic drugs and counterfeit currency. Badr also urged the government to step up efforts against alleged smuggling through unofficial crossings in the Kurdistan region.

The audit of the Maysan Provincial Council marks the first formal step by Baghdad to address the provincial challenge. The investigation follows the specific threat of unrest and the economic disruption caused by the suspended border operations.