The Iraqi government reopened the al-Sheeb border with Iran in Maysan province Tuesday, and announced temporary closure of the Mandali crossing in Diyala province from Nov. 13.
An internal source said some leaders boycotted a Framework meeting on Monday, in protest over the Oct. 21 closure of the crossing in the southern Maysan province, which had been shut for about 20 days, calling the move “a tactical maneuver by the Baghdad government.”
The source said authorities in Iran viewed the move as a possible indication that Baghdad might shut down all five of their border crossings, and had informed the Iraqi government Tehran had been “hurt by this closure.”
A source at Iraq’s Border Ports Authority told MBN that al-Zaidi’s decision to close al-Sheeb had been made in coordination with the U.S. Treasury Department, adding that only two border crossings with Iran would remain open, without identifying which, as part of efforts to curb smuggling.
Al-Sheeb was reopened after Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein made statements on Nov. 7 confirming that the U.S. had requested Baghdad close all but two crossings with Iran.
Iraq’s Border Ports Authority head Omar al-Waeli said al-Sheeb had reopened “after technical requirements were completed”, adding that the Mandali crossing would be closed from Nov. 13 for “maintenance work” ahead of the rainy season, without specifying when it would reopen.
MBN contacted the Border Ports Authority for further comment but received no response.
Ziad al-Hashemi, an international transportation researcher, described the al-Sheeb crossing as a “vital artery”, with 2,000 to 2,500 trucks passing through every month.
Iran is one of the largest exporters of non-oil goods to the Iraqi market, which for years has relied on Iranian gas and electricity to sustain large parts of its power grid.
Iraqi authorities had previously closed al-Sheeb and Mandali in mid-September, following a drone attack on an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia that Baghdad said originated from Iraqi territory.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
