Zaidi Orders Probe of Maysan Council Chief After Road Blockade Threat

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of Maysan's provincial council, on Monday. The move comes after Mohammedawi warned that the province would block roads linking it to the rest of the country if the Sheeb border crossing with Iran did not reopen by Thursday.

The Sheeb crossing, known as Chazabeh in Iran, serves as a primary commercial artery between the two nations. Baghdad closed the site last Wednesday, citing a need for improved technical and logistical infrastructure. Haidar al-Aboudi, the government spokesperson, stated that the location lacked necessary technological preparations. An Iraqi border official told Reuters that the closure allows authorities to review security arrangements and install detection equipment to curb smuggling.

Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, an adviser to the prime minister, alleged that drugs and currency have been entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings. He referenced "uncontrolled groups" as the primary vectors, a description widely interpreted as a reference to Iranian-backed militias. Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected these claims on Saturday, labeling them false and urging Iraqi officials to clarify statements that might strain bilateral relations.

Maysan, a Shiite-majority province, relies heavily on cross-border trade. Its capital, Amarah, functions as a commercial hub near the Iranian border. Rudaw reported that truck drivers, who depend on this trade for their livelihoods, gathered near the closed crossing to protest the halt in commerce. Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji, a lawmaker, questioned the legal basis for Zaidi's order, 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 anniversary of the Tishreen movement, which began in October 2019. Shafaq News reported that participants waved Iraqi flags and demanded political and economic reforms. The protests are driven largely by young Shiite Iraqis frustrated by corruption, unemployment, and the sectarian quota system, or muhasasa, which distributes government positions and resources.

Rights organizations cited by Rudaw indicate that more than 600 protesters were killed during the 2019 uprising. Approximately 20,000 individuals were injured and around 3,000 were arrested. Iranian-backed groups suppressed the demonstrations, with the Badr Organization frequently accused of a leading role. Hadi al-Amiri, leader of Badr and a senior figure in the Coordination Framework, recently defended the group's actions. At an event in late August, he described the protests as sedition and said the Islamic Resistance helped preserve the political order.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, an activist and journalist quoted by Shafaq News, called for justice regarding the killings and criticized the concentration of political power. The National House party, linked to the Tishreen movement, urged for peaceful demonstrations and renewed demands to end corruption, reform the political system, and place weapons under state control. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization for pro-Iran armed groups, has accused the government of yielding to Washington's demands regarding border crossings and flights involving Iran.