Tehran protests Iraq’s closure of Al-Sheeb border crossing
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran on Wednesday criticized Iraq’s decision to close Al-Sheeb border crossing without prior notice, saying the move violated notification requirements under a bilateral agreement between the two countries.
Iranian Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeynivand said at a press conference that Iranian authorities were following up on the matter and examining the circumstances surrounding the closure.
He noted that temporary border closures lasting from one hour to several hours for security reasons were common and did not require advance notice. However, either side must notify the other in advance if a closure is expected to last more than one day.
On Tuesday, a source at Maysan Provincial Council told Shafaq News that Iraq’s federal government had ordered Al-Sheeb crossing with Iran closed until further notice.
No further details were provided about the reason for the decision.
On September 12, Iraqi authorities temporarily closed the Al-Sheeb, Shalamcheh, and Mandali border crossings to review security and administrative procedures.
