Iraq Reopens Shaib Crossing With Iran, Will Close Mandali From Friday
The Border Ports Authority cites technical work and the coming rainy season, as Baghdad says it is still in talks with Washington over a US request to close most crossings with Iran
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iraq’s Border Ports Authority said it reopened the Shaib border crossing with Iran to travelers and trade at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, after completing the technical requirements and procedures, and will temporarily close the Mandali crossing from 8 a.m. on Friday, November 13.
The authority said Shaib is reopening in conditions that ensure a smooth flow of travelers and trucks and help revive trade. It said Mandali is closing to complete technical requirements, preparation and periodic maintenance, especially as the rainy season approaches and its weather conditions can affect vehicle movement and the flow of work at the crossing.
The authority said the steps are part of its strategic plan to develop the border crossings and raise their technical and service efficiency so they operate safely and sustainably. It said it will announce when work resumes at Mandali once the planned work is finished. State news agency INA reported the announcement, according to Reuters.
Iraq closed Shaib in Maysan province on October 21, under a federal directive that took effect at 6 a.m. and was described to Kurdistan 24 as indefinite. The government said it was because the crossing’s technical and logistical facilities were not ready, while other accounts said it was to review security and install detection equipment to stop smuggling.
Maysan officials and truck drivers protested the closure, and the provincial council head warned of civil disobedience, according to Iraqi media. Iran’s Interior Ministry said Tehran received no advance notice, which the Iraqi government called inaccurate. Iraq also temporarily closed Shaib, Shalamcheh and Mandali on September 12 after a drone attack on a Saudi pipeline that Riyadh said was launched from Iraq, and reopened them in stages days later.
The announcements follow Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein’s remarks to Al Jazeera on Saturday that Washington formally asked Iraq to close all land borders with Iran except two crossings. “The Americans are still demanding the closure of the crossings, and we are currently in discussions with them,” he said, according to Reuters.
AFP reported that the US suggested keeping one crossing in the north and the Mehran crossing, which connects Wasit province with Iran’s Ilam province, and that closing crossings such as Shalamcheh, Zurbatiyah and Mandali would significantly disrupt trade between the two countries, which exceeded $10 billion last year.
It was not immediately clear whether the Shaib reopening or the Mandali closure is related to the US request, according to Reuters. The authority’s statement does not mention the crossings of the Kurdistan Region.