Iraq has closed the Al Sheeb border crossing with Iran to passengers and goods, according to a government official.
The closure, which took effect at 6am local time on Wednesday, will remain in place until further notice, the official told The National.
The move followed direct orders from Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi and the decision was taken to “reconsider the security arrangements inside the crossing”, the official said.
A border official told Reuters that the closure was due to a review in security and installing detection equipment to stop the smuggling of prohibited materials.
The crossing, in the south-eastern province of Maysan, is one of the main commercial gateways between the two countries, used for transporting food and construction materials, as well as by Iranian pilgrims heading to holy sites in Najaf and Karbala.
Other border crossings with Iran are expected to be closed gradually, he added. If crossings such as Shalamcheh, Zurbatiyah and Mandali are also closed, it would significantly disrupt Iraq-Iran trade, which exceeded $10 billion last year.
Iraq had temporarily closed the Shalamcheh crossing in September as a precautionary security measure after drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The closure of Al Sheeb is likely to push up prices of basic goods, especially fresh produce and Iranian building materials that dominate southern markets.
The decision is likely to spark outrage among pro-Iran political blocs, who have already accused the government of leaning too far towards Washington at a time when the US maintains sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
Critics within the Co-ordination Framework, the largest Shiite parliamentary bloc for mainly Iran-backed factions, argue that closing commercial crossings effectively enforces US sanctions and harms border provinces that are economically dependent on Iranian trade, while supporters say Baghdad needs to tighten border control and diversify imports.
The Prime Minister’s office has not yet issued a formal statement explaining the scope or duration of the closures. There was no official Iranian comment.