Iraq Resumes Operations at Shib Crossing with Iran
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MENAFNOmar al-Waeli, head of Iraq’s Border Ports Authority, announced that Shib resumed operations at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) after the necessary technical preparations and procedures had been completed.
He also said Mandali would close at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Friday to allow maintenance and preparatory work to be carried out before the rainy season begins.
Al-Waeli explained that rainfall and related weather conditions could disrupt vehicle movement within the crossing, making the planned maintenance necessary. However, the authority did not provide a specific timeline for the closure, stating that the reopening date would be announced after the work is finished.
Shib is situated in southeastern Iraq’s Maysan province and links the country to Iran’s Chazabeh crossing in Khuzestan province. Mandali, meanwhile, is located in eastern Iraq’s Diyala province.
On Oct. 21, Iraqi government spokesman Haider al-Abboudi said Shib had been shut because the crossing was not technically ready to operate. He added that commercial exchanges with Iran had continued through other border points during the suspension.
The crossing had also been closed in September as part of measures intended to reorganize border operations and investigate reported violations, according to the authorities responsible for security-related media communications.
During that period, the Zurbatiyah and Al-Mundhiriyah crossings remained available to travelers. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi subsequently instructed officials to allow passengers stranded at the border to enter through Shib and Shalamcheh.
Al-Zaidi recently traveled to Iran for talks on reducing regional tensions, Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Yasser Abdul Zahra al-Hajjaj said Monday. He described the trip as “private and unannounced.”
The Border Ports Authority said Shib had reopened following the completion of the required technical procedures, without connecting the decision to the prime minister’s recent visit to Iran.
Separately, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Sunday that the US Treasury Department had requested Baghdad shut all border crossings with Iran except two.
In an interview, Hussein explained that the Iraqi government was still discussing the proposal with Washington. He cautioned that carrying out the request could have consequences for Iraq’s economy.
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