Iraq closes Shib border crossing with Iran until further notice

BASRA — Iraq has closed the Shib border crossing with Iran to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks until further notice, two sources at the crossing told Arab News on Wednesday.

Another source told the outlet the decision was taken to check security arrangements inside the crossing. Arab News did not name any of the sources, and the report did not include a statement from the Iraqi government or from border authorities.

Al Arabiya also reported the closure in a post on its Telegram channel on Wednesday. The post was a short headline saying Iraq had closed the Shib crossing with Iran. It gave no further detail, and the post could not be independently verified.

What is known and unknown

According to Arab News, the closure covers all three categories of traffic: travellers, private and other vehicles, and commercial trucks. The outlet described Shib as one of the main entry points for goods and travellers between the two countries.

The sources did not say how long the closure would last beyond "until further notice". They did not describe what the security check inside the crossing involves, or what prompted it. No information was given on whether any people or cargo were held at the crossing when it closed.

There was no comment in the available reports from Iranian officials. It was not clear whether Iraq had informed Tehran of the decision or whether any exceptions, such as for humanitarian cargo, would apply.

The reports did not say who ordered the closure. Arab News attributed the information only to sources at the crossing.

Background

Iraq has closed a border crossing with Iran on security grounds before. Arab News reported that Baghdad ordered the closure of another crossing, Shalamcheh, in September as a precaution. At that time, two security sources said the step followed drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. Riyadh said the drones had been launched from Iraq.

The reports on Shib do not link the latest closure to the September drone attacks. The source who spoke about the decision referred only to checking security arrangements inside the crossing.

Shib and Shalamcheh are both on the border between south-eastern Iraq and Iran. The Arab News report, datelined Basra, did not give further details on trade volumes or the number of people who normally use the Shib crossing.

Arab News said the decision was reported on Wednesday. Zenga News has not independently confirmed the closure. Further information is expected to depend on any statement from Iraqi authorities on the reasons for the decision and when the crossing will reopen.