Iraq PM Probes Maysan Chief Over Border Standoff

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation on Monday into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of the Maysan provincial council. The inquiry follows Mohammedawi's warning that the province would resort to civil disobedience if the Sheeb border crossing with Iran remained closed past Thursday. This standoff coincides with renewed street protests in Baghdad marking the anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen movement.

Mohammedawi stated on Sunday that residents of Maysan would be forced to block all roads connecting the province to the rest of the country if the crossing did not reopen by the deadline. He warned that the province could become effectively cut off from national trade routes. The Sheeb crossing, known in Iran as Chazabeh, serves as a primary commercial corridor between the two nations.

Baghdad closed the crossing last Wednesday, citing the need for improved technical and logistical infrastructure. Government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi explained that the site lacked necessary technological preparations. An Iraqi border official told Reuters that the closure allows authorities to review security protocols and install detection equipment to prevent the smuggling of prohibited materials.

Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, an adviser to the prime minister, claimed that drugs and currency were entering southern Iraq through Iranian border points. He referenced "uncontrolled groups" entering the country, a term often used for Iranian-backed militias. Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected these allegations on Saturday, labeling them false and urging Iraqi authorities to manage statements that could strain bilateral relations.

The dispute carries economic weight for Maysan, a Shiite-majority province where the capital, Amarah, functions as a commercial hub near the Iranian border. Truck drivers who rely on cross-border trade gathered near the crossing to protest the closure. Lawmaker Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji questioned the legal basis for Zaidi's probe, arguing that only the provincial council can remove its chairman by majority vote.

In Baghdad, demonstrators took to the streets on October 25 to mark the start of the Tishreen movement in October 2019. Shafaq News reported that participants waved Iraqi flags and demanded political and economic reforms. The protests were driven by young Shiite Iraqis frustrated by corruption, unemployment, poor public services, and the influence of political factions. Protesters also opposed the muhasasa system, which distributes government positions based on sectarian quotas.

Rights organizations cited by Rudaw stated that more than 600 protesters were killed during the original movement, with approximately 20,000 injured and 3,000 arrested. Iranian-backed groups suppressed the demonstrations, with the Badr Organization among those accused of a role. Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of Badr and a senior figure in the Coordination Framework, defended those groups at an event in late August. He described the protests as sedition and claimed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq helped preserve the political order.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, an activist and journalist, called for justice regarding the killings and criticized the concentration of political power and misuse of public wealth. The National House party, linked to the Tishreen movement, urged peaceful demonstrations and renewed calls to end corruption, reform the political system, and bring weapons under state control. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of pro-Iran armed factions, accused the government of yielding to Washington's demands on border crossings and flights involving Iran.