Iraqi PM Orders Probe After Maysan Council Head Threatens Road Blockade Over Closed Iran Crossing

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation on Monday into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of Maysan's provincial council. The move follows Mohammedawi's warning that the province would initiate civil disobedience unless the Sheeb border crossing with Iran reopened by Thursday. The dispute places immediate pressure on the Iraqi government amid a concurrent return of street protests in Baghdad.

Mohammedawi stated on Sunday that Maysan residents would be forced to block all roads connecting the province to the rest of the country if the crossing remained closed. He argued that the shutdown could effectively cut off the region. The Sheeb crossing, known as Chazabeh on the Iranian side, serves as a primary commercial route between the two nations.

Baghdad closed the checkpoint last Wednesday, citing a need for improved technical and logistical infrastructure. Government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi said the site lacked necessary technological preparations. An Iraqi border official told Reuters that the closure allows authorities to review security arrangements and install detection equipment to prevent smuggling. Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, an adviser to the prime minister, claimed drugs and currency were entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings, pointing to uncontrolled groups.

Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected these allegations on Saturday, calling them false. The embassy urged Iraqi authorities to respond to statements that could harm bilateral relations. Militias have reportedly used an area near the crossing to target Saudi Arabia in September. Maysan is a Shiite-majority province with a capital, Amarah, that functions as a commercial hub near the Iranian border. Truck drivers and other trade-dependent workers gathered near the crossing to protest the closure.

Lawmaker Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji questioned the legal authority of Zaidi to investigate an elected council chairman. 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 Tishreen movement, which began in October 2019. Participants waved Iraqi flags and demanded political and economic reforms.

The protests are driven largely by young Shiite Iraqis frustrated by corruption, unemployment, and the influence of political factions. They oppose the muhasasa system of sectarian quotas for distributing positions and resources. Rights organizations cited by Rudaw report that more than 600 protesters were killed during the movement, approximately 20,000 were injured, and around 3,000 were arrested. Iranian-backed groups suppressed the protests, with the Badr Organization accused of playing a role.

Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Badr Organization and a senior figure in the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, recently defended those groups. Speaking at an event in late August, he called the protests sedition and stated that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq 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 and bring weapons under state control.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of pro-Iran armed groups, has accused the government of yielding to Washington's demands regarding border crossings and flights involving Iran. The current situation tests whether state institutions can enforce the law and secure borders without becoming hostage to competing political and armed factions.