Iraq closed one of its southern border crossings with Iran on Wednesday, according to Reuters. It comes amid a separate report in the UAE's Al-Ain news that the US is pressuring Baghdad to close the border crossings with Iran.
Iraq is in the spotlight because Iran continues to pressure Iraq to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, and the US is pressuring Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias.
Iraq closed the Sheeb border crossing with Iran to passengers, vehicles, and commercial trucks until further notice, two sources at the crossing said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. This is a major crossing for people and trade that leads to Iraq’s Maysan Governorate.
“Iraq ordered the closure of another crossing with Iran, Shalamcheh, in September as a precaution after drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, two security sources said at the time. Riyadh said the drones had been launched from Iraq,” Reuters noted.
Iraq has seven land border crossings between Iraq and Iran. These crossings are located in the governorates of Basra and Maysan in the south, as well as Wasit and Diyala in the center, and Sulaymaniyah and Erbil. There are also local seasonal crossings.
It is believed that this crossing is near an area that was used by Iranian-backed militias to carry out an attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline in September. Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is apparently convinced that recent reports in the region point to a return to fighting between the US, Israel, and Iran. As such, Iraq could be in the spotlight again.
Iran, Iranian-backed groups carry out over 1,600 attacks on Iraq
Iran has carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Iraq since February. In addition, Iranian-backed militias carried out at least 600 attacks within the country. Most of these targeted US facilities or Kurdish Iranian opposition groups.
The US withdrew forces from Iraq on September 30. Iran has continued to carry out attacks on Kurdish groups. Iran’s ambassador to Iraq also wrote on October 20 that Iraq would expel the Kurdish Iranian opposition groups. Iran’s consul in Erbil has threatened the groups as well.
A government source told the UAE’s Al-Ain News that Iraq’s prime minister “informed the leaders of the [Shi’ite] Coordination Framework during a meeting held late Monday evening at the office of the leader of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, that the government had received a message from the US Treasury Department demanding the closure of the borders with Iran, but Baghdad rejected the request.”
The report then said that the US “suggested keeping only two crossings open, one in the north and the other in the center (Mehran crossing), which connects the Iraqi Wasit Governorate with the Iranian Ilam.”
The report claimed that Iraq responded to US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack by rejecting the decisions. It should be noted that Iraq had also been pressured to stop Iranian flights to Iraq. Iraq responded by enabling Iranian airlines to fly to Najaf, while restricting other airports. The excuse is that Iranian Shi’ite pilgrims need to reach the Shi’ite holy sites in Iraq.
Barrack, who is also the US Ambassador to Turkey, was in Qatar this week for a conference and spoke about US policy in the region. Iraq has a new US ambassador, and many things are moving in US policy.
Zaidi aiming to strike balance for Iraq between US, Iran
Zaidi wants Iraq to navigate between the US and Iran while appearing close to the US. "Al-Zaidi received information indicating that war between Iran and the United States is imminent," the source told Al-Ain, noting that "Iraq cannot be involved in this war, and the repercussions will affect the political system and the state."
The Sheeb crossing, sometimes called Al-Shaib, was the first to close in the Maysan Governorate. The closure began Wednesday. Al-Ain added that “These developments were preceded by restrictions on flights between Iraq and Iran, which led to the suspension of flights at a number of Iraqi airports, before exceptional arrangements were made that allowed Iranian flights to continue through Najaf Airport, in light of contacts made by Baghdad with Washington to avoid the repercussions of the American sanctions.”
Al-Ain added that “among the most prominent of these border crossings are: Shalamcheh, Al-Shaib, Zurbatiyah, Al-Mundhiriyah, Mandali, Bashmakh, Parvizkhan, and Haji Omran. These crossings are considered a vital artery for trade exchange and the movement of travelers and visitors between the two countries.”