Iraq closed the Sheeb border crossing with Iran to passengers and commercial traffic on Wednesday under direct orders from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, citing a review of security arrangements. The sudden shutdown halts a vital trade artery in Maysan Governorate as regional tensions mount.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi Orders Indefinite Shutdown at Sheeb
Iraqi authorities shut down the Sheeb border crossing with Iran to travellers, vehicles, and commercial trucks at 6:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The closure remains in place until further notice following direct instructions from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to a government official who spoke to the press.
The facility, situated in the south-eastern province of Maysan opposite Iran’s Khuzestan Province, serves as a primary commercial gateway. It handles the transport of food, construction materials, and travellers, including Iranian pilgrims heading to holy sites in Najaf and Karbala. An Iraqi border official explained that authorities are examining security at the site and installing new detection equipment intended to prevent the smuggling of prohibited items.
On Wednesday, a pair of officials stationed at the Al-Shib border crossing announced that Iraqi authorities had issued a formal decree shutting down the facility entirely for all travelers, vehicles, and commercial trucks until further notice. Consequently, land transport and commercial trade through this crucial conduit have ground to a halt. According to sources at the crossing, the suspension of operations was ordered to re-evaluate security arrangements and administrative procedures while regulating entry and exit mechanisms.
This latest measure forms part of a comprehensive plan and an extensive security and administrative review currently being conducted by relevant agencies regarding the land border crossings connecting Iraq with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iraq maintains seven land border crossings with Iran located in the governorates of Basra and Maysan in the south, Wasit and Diyala in the center, and Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, alongside local seasonal crossings. Prominent land border crossings include Shalamcheh, Al-Shaib, Zurbatiyah, Al-Mundhiriyah, Mandali, Bashmakh, Parvizkhan, and Haji Omran, which serve as a vital artery for trade exchange and the movement of travelers and visitors between the two nations.
Sheeb Closure Threatens Iraq-Iran Trade and Raises Prices
The sudden halt at Sheeb threatens to ripple across bilateral commerce. A government official warned that if other crossings such as Shalamcheh, Zurbatiyah, and Mandali are also closed, it would significantly disrupt Iraq-Iran trade, which exceeded $10 billion last year. The closure of Sheeb is expected to push up prices for basic goods, particularly fresh produce and Iranian building materials that dominate southern markets.
Iraq previously closed another crossing with Iran, Shalamcheh, in September as a precautionary security measure following drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to two security sources at the time. Riyadh stated that those drones had been launched from Iraq. Investigators believe this crossing sits close to a zone previously used by Iranian-aligned militias to stage a September strike against Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi appears persuaded that recent regional developments signal a resumption of hostilities among the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Tehran criticized the move for its lack of formal warning. Iranian Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand noted that Tehran was not given advance notice, though he acknowledged that temporary closures for several hours are routine.
Border closures create more problems for Iraqi traders and economic activists, and their negative effects are greater for the other side. Therefore, this is a common issue, and we hope that the problem will be resolved with investigations carried out.
Ali Zeinivand, Iranian Interior Ministry spokesman
Under an existing bilateral agreement, any border closure lasting longer than one day requires advance notification. Zeinivand stated that the matter is currently under review by Iranian authorities. Meanwhile, figures published last September by the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce demonstrated that despite restrictions and regulatory frameworks applied elsewhere, commercial transactions and freight transport kept moving smoothly through alternative key crossing points between the two nations, specifically Mehran, Bashmaq, and Khosravi.
Pro-Iran Factions Criticize Border Closures as US Pressure Grows
The decision is already drawing fierce backlash from pro-Iran political factions inside Iraq. Critics within the Coordination Framework, the largest Shiite parliamentary bloc representing mainly Iran-backed factions, argue that shutting commercial crossings effectively enforces US sanctions and harms border provinces economically dependent on trade with Iran. Supporters counter that Baghdad must tighten border control and diversify its imports.
🔴 BREAKING: Iraq closes Sheeb border crossing with Iran for urgent security reasons, sources say https://t.co/QYQnCxIET2 pic.twitter.com/ZunMkmzqPl
Amid these developments, reports in the region indicated that the United States is pressuring Baghdad to close border crossings with Iran. Iraq remains in the spotlight because Iran continues to pressure Baghdad to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, while the United States pressures Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias. Reports alleged that a proposal was made to keep only two crossings open—one in the north and the other in the center at the Mehran crossing connecting Iraq’s Wasit Governorate with the Iranian province of Ilam—but that Baghdad rejected the request made to US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack. Government sources told reporters that several additional border crossings along the Iranian frontier will be gradually shut down in the coming days as part of a comprehensive security review.
More on Sheeb
Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi has ordered the indefinite closure of the Sheeb border crossing with Iran, with others to follow, an Iraqi official told Al Jazeera. No reason was given.🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/a8hsd41Hln pic.twitter.com/bH6DyLIJ77
Iraq closes the Sheeb border crossing with Iran to passengers, vehicles, and commercial trucks until further notice – Two sources at the crossing