Iraqi PM probes council chief after 72-hour ultimatum over closed border

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation on Monday into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of the Maysan provincial council. The move follows Mohammedawi's warning on Sunday that residents would resort to civil disobedience and block roads linking the province to the rest of Iraq unless the Sheeb border crossing reopens by Thursday. Mohammedawi stated that the people of Maysan would be forced to cut off the province if the crossing remained closed.

The Sheeb crossing, known as Chazabeh in Iran, serves as a major commercial route between the two countries. Baghdad closed the site last Wednesday, citing a need for improved technical and logistical infrastructure. Government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi 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.

Adviser Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban claimed that drugs and currency were entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings. He pointed to uncontrolled groups, a term often used for Iranian-backed militias, as a factor in the issue. Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected these allegations on Saturday, calling them false. The embassy urged Iraqi authorities to be careful with statements that could harm bilateral relations.

Lawmaker Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji questioned the legal basis for the prime minister's probe. He argued that only the provincial council can remove its chairman by majority vote. In the province, truck drivers who rely on trade with Iran gathered near the crossing to protest the closure. Maysan is a Shiite-majority region where the capital, Amarah, functions as a commercial hub near the Iranian border.

In Baghdad, demonstrators marked the anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen movement on October 25. Participants waved flags and demanded political and economic reforms. The movement, driven by young Shiite Iraqis, opposed the muhasasa system of sectarian quotas. Rights organizations reported that more than 600 protesters were killed during the original movement, with about 20,000 injured and 3,000 arrested.

Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Badr Organization, defended the groups accused of suppressing the 2019 protests. He called the demonstrations sedition in late August. Activist 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 demands to place weapons under state control.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of pro-Iran armed factions, accused the government of yielding to Washington regarding border crossings. The group also cited issues with flights involving Iran. The government faces pressure to secure borders while managing relations with Tehran and domestic political factions.