Iraqi PM probes Maysan council chief after road blockade threat

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation on Monday into Mustafa Daeer Mohammedawi, the head of Maysan's provincial council. The probe targets Mohammedawi after he threatened to block roads linking the southeastern province to the rest of Iraq.

The standoff began when Baghdad closed the Sheeb border crossing last Wednesday. The government stated the site needed better technical and logistical infrastructure. Haidar al-Aboudi, the government spokesperson, said the location lacked necessary technical and technological preparations. An Iraqi border official told Reuters that the closure allows authorities to review security arrangements and install detection equipment to stop the smuggling of prohibited materials.

Mohammedawi issued a warning on Sunday. He stated that Maysan would resort to civil disobedience unless the crossing reopened by Thursday. "If it is not opened, then the people of Maysan province will be forced to resort to civil disobedience on all roads," he said. He added that the province could effectively be cut off from the rest of the country.

The closure has strained relations between Baghdad and Tehran. Abdul Amir Hassan Ali al-Taiban, an adviser to the prime minister, claimed drugs and currency were entering southern Iraq through Iranian crossings. He pointed to uncontrolled groups, a term often used for Iranian-backed militias, as the primary source. Iran's embassy in Baghdad rejected these allegations on Saturday, calling them false. The embassy urged Iraqi authorities to respond to statements that could harm bilateral relations.

Legal experts are questioning the scope of the prime minister's power. Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji, a lawmaker, argued that Zaidi lacks the legal authority to investigate an elected council chairman. He noted that only the provincial council can remove its chairman by majority vote.

In Baghdad, demonstrators gathered on October 25 to mark the anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen movement. Participants waved Iraqi flags and called for political and economic reforms. The protests were driven largely by young Shiite Iraqis frustrated by corruption, unemployment, and poor services. They also opposed the muhasasa system of sectarian quotas for distributing positions and resources.

Rights organizations cited by Rudaw reported that more than 600 protesters were killed during the 2019 movement. About 20,000 were injured and around 3,000 were arrested. The Badr Organization was among those accused of suppressing the protests. Hadi al-Amiri, leader of Badr, recently defended those groups at an event in late August. He called the protests sedition and said the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had helped preserve the political order.