Protests have intensified in Iraq’s southeastern Maysan Province, as drivers, border workers, and local residents demand the immediate reopening of the Al-Sheib (Chazabeh) crossing with Iran amid mounting economic losses and growing threats to local livelihoods and trade.

Media reports said on Thursday that demonstrations were continuing in Maysan, with protesters urging the Iraqi government in Baghdad to reopen the strategically important crossing, a major commercial and transportation link between Iran and Iraq.

The demonstrators warned that the prolonged closure has seriously undermined their economic interests, income sources, and livelihoods, noting that a substantial segment of the province’s population depends on cross-border transportation, trade, and passenger transit.

In recent days, truck and taxi drivers, along with workers employed at the crossing, have staged demonstrations on the road leading to the border, calling for the resumption of operations and urging Iraqi authorities to address their grievances.

The Iraqi government ordered the closure of the Al-Sheib border crossing on October 20, without initially announcing a clear justification or setting a timeline for its reopening.

Al-Sheib, known as Chazabeh on the Iranian side, is a key land trade route between the two countries. Local officials in Maysan estimate that approximately 4,000 people depend directly or indirectly on the crossing for their livelihoods.

Although cargo can be diverted through alternative border crossings, including Shalamcheh, Zurbatiyah-Mehran, Mandali-Khosravi, Somar, Bashmaq, and Parviz Khan, such alternatives have failed to fully compensate for the disruption.

Rerouting shipments increases transportation distances and costs, placing additional pressure on businesses and traders in Maysan.

The closure has also affected the province’s domestic supply chains. The crossing serves as a principal entry point for goods, commodities, and food supplies into Amarah and other parts of Maysan, and its shutdown has reportedly contributed to a sharp increase in local prices.

Tribal leaders have warned that the closure has deprived thousands of people of their livelihoods, while Maysan Provincial Council chief Mustafa Daeer Muhammedawi recently threatened to block major roads connecting the province to the rest of Iraq unless the crossing is reopened. He has also warned that residents could resort to civil disobedience.

Iraqi government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi earlier attributed the closure to a lack of technical readiness, saying that commercial exchanges with Iran continue through other border crossings, although no reopening date has been announced.

Explanations for the closure have varied. A border official previously cited the need to review security procedures and install detection equipment to prevent smuggling.

Analysts assess US pressure campaign on Iran, its global fallout

The discussion explores how US pressure on Iran could expose regional allies and Europe, while worsening Washington’s debt crisis and weakening the dollar’s global dominance.

Iraq’s Prime Minister’s Office also rejected reports that the decision had been made at Washington’s request, describing it as based on regulatory and administrative considerations.

However, an Iraqi official earlier told Chinese state media that the closure had followed US pressure on Baghdad to impose a land blockade on Iran during the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The continued closure has fueled public discontent in Maysan, where residents and local officials are increasingly pressing Baghdad to restore operations at the crossing, warning that the economic and social consequences could deepen if the disruption persists.

The closure comes amid substantial economic ties between Iran and Iraq. Figures from the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce put bilateral trade at approximately $12 billion last year, including more than $10.2 billion in Iranian exports to Iraq. Other estimates place the value of bilateral trade in 2024 at around $12.5 billion.