Iraqi PM Launches Investigation Into Maysan Council Chief After Road Blockade Threat

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation on Monday into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of Maysan’s provincial council. The probe follows Mohammedawi’s warning that the province would initiate civil disobedience if the Sheeb border crossing with Iran did not reopen by Thursday.

Mohammedawi stated that the people of Maysan would be forced to block all roads linking the province to the rest of the country if the crossing remained shut. He added that the region could effectively be cut off from national logistics networks. The Sheeb crossing, known as Chazabeh in Iran, serves as a major commercial artery for goods moving between the two nations.

Baghdad closed the crossing last Wednesday, citing the 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 stop the smuggling of prohibited materials.

Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, an adviser to the prime minister, claimed that drugs and currency are entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings. Iraq also pointed to uncontrolled groups, a term often used for Iranian-backed militias, as a reason for the heightened scrutiny. Iran’s embassy in Baghdad rejected these allegations on Saturday, calling them false and urging Iraqi authorities to avoid statements that could harm bilateral relations.

The standoff in Maysan coincides with renewed protests in Baghdad marking the anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen movement. Demonstrators gathered on October 25, waving Iraqi flags and demanding political and economic reforms. Participants, largely young Shiites, expressed frustration over corruption, unemployment, and the influence of political factions. They also opposed the muhasasa system, which allocates positions and resources based on sectarian quotas.

Rights organizations report that more than 600 protesters were killed during the original Tishreen movement, with approximately 20,000 injured and 3,000 arrested. The Badr Organization, an Iranian-backed group, was among those accused of suppressing the 2019 demonstrations. Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri recently defended those groups, labeling the protests as sedition at an event in late August. In Maysan, lawmaker Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji questioned Zaidi’s legal authority to investigate an elected council chairman, arguing that only the provincial council can remove its head by majority vote.