Iraqi Border Dispute: Maysan Threatens Blockade Over Closed Crossing

More than 600 protesters were killed during the 2019 Tishreen movement in Iraq, a toll that rights organizations cite as a benchmark for the current unrest. As demonstrators returned to Baghdad streets on October 25 to mark the sixth anniversary of that uprising, the government faced a parallel crisis in the southeast. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of Maysan's provincial council, on Monday.

The probe follows a warning issued by Mohammedawi on Sunday. He stated that Maysan would resort to civil disobedience on all roads if the Sheeb border crossing with Iran was not reopened by Thursday. The council chief added that the province could effectively be cut off from the rest of the country if the blockade proceeded. Truck drivers, who depend on trade with Iran, gathered near the site to support the demand.

The Sheeb crossing, known as Chazabeh in Iran, serves as a major commercial route. Baghdad closed the site last Wednesday, citing a need for improved technical and logistical infrastructure. Haidar al-Aboudi, the government spokesperson, said the location 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 the smuggling of prohibited materials.

Tensions between Baghdad and Tehran have heightened the dispute. Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, an adviser to the prime minister, claimed that drugs and currency were entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings. He referenced uncontrolled groups, a term often used to describe Iranian-backed militias. Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected these allegations on Saturday, calling them false and urging Iraqi authorities to respond to statements that could harm bilateral relations.

Legal questions surround the prime minister's move. Lawmaker Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji questioned whether Zaidi has the authority to investigate an elected council chairman. He argued that only the provincial council can remove its chairman by majority vote. Maysan is a Shiite-majority province with a capital in Amarah, a commercial hub where cross-border trade is vital to the local economy.

In Baghdad, the October 25 demonstrations marked the Tishreen movement, which began in October 2019. Participants waved Iraqi flags and called for political and economic reforms. The protests were driven largely by young Shiite Iraqis frustrated by corruption, unemployment, and the influence of political factions. They also opposed the muhasasa system of sectarian quotas for distributing positions and resources.

Rights organizations cited by Rudaw state that about 20,000 people were injured and around 3,000 were arrested during the original movement. Iranian-backed groups suppressed the protests, with the Badr Organization among those accused. Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri, a senior figure in the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, recently defended those groups. At an event in late August, he called the protests sedition and said the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had helped preserve the political order.

Activist and journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi called for justice over the killings and criticized the concentration of political power. The National House party, linked to the Tishreen movement, called for peaceful demonstrations and renewed demands to end corruption. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of pro-Iran armed groups, has accused the government of yielding to Washington's demands on border crossings and flights involving Iran.