Iran12 September, 20263 min read
Iraq Temporarily Closes Shalamcheh Border Crossing With Iran Amid Security Investigations
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Iraq temporarily closes Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran amid administrative and security reorganization. Closure enacted after drone attacks on Saudi Arabia as authorities pursue perpetrators.
7 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Iran Reviews US Negotiation Proposals As Pakistan And Qatar Mediate Strait Of Hormuz Dispute →
Shalamcheh shut after drone
Iraq temporarily closed the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran on Saturday as part of administrative and security reorganization at several border points, while security authorities intensified investigations into reported violations. Kurdistan24 quoted a security source saying, "Directives were issued by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to close the crossing and evacuate its officials and workers," and said no detailed official explanation was initially provided for the Shalamcheh closure. The Kurdistan24 report said Shalamcheh is located east of Basra province and is one of the principal land crossings between Iraq and Iran, with the Zurbatiyah and al-Mundhariyah crossings remaining open to travelers.
The closures came hours after Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh al-Zaidi ordered the dismissal of the Maysan Operations Commander and the creation of an investigative committee after authorities confirmed that attacks on Saudi Arabia had originated from a location inside Maysan province. Kurdistan24 also tied the border move to Baghdad’s response to drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which Saudi Arabia said had been targeted from Iraqi territory in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
Two-hour gate confusion
As Iraqi and Iranian travelers found themselves stranded, Al Jazeera Net reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered that those stranded on both sides be allowed to enter through the Shalamcheh and Shal mijah crossings, hours after gates were closed and passenger movement halted. Al Jazeera Net said travelers at the Shalamcheh crossing told it that the Iraqi side informed them that the gate would be opened for the stranded for only two hours, to allow citizens of each country to return to their lands. The report emphasized that the order did not include a full reopening of the crossings, did not specify the duration of the exceptional crossing permission, and did not clarify whether it covered freight and commercial vehicles.
Al Jazeera Net described witnesses reporting travelers sitting near the Shalamcheh gate for hours with no clear information about their fate, while a large truck was observed blocking the entrance gate to the crossing from the Iraqi side. It also reported that the head of the Iraqi Border Crossings Authority, Omar Al-Wa’ili, said movement with the Iranian side did not stop through the Zurbatiyah and Al-Mundhiriya crossings, and that the measures at some crossings are temporary and aim to reorganize work there.
Hormuz and border tightening
While Iraq tightened border controls after drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, Iran’s negotiating posture on the Strait of Hormuz remained tied to conditions set by Tehran, according to Iran International’s report on an agreement with Oman. Iran International said an agreement between Iran and Oman on shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz would not itself lead to the reopening of the waterway, and that Hormuz will remain closed until Washington meets seven conditions set by Tehran. The report added that the arrangement expected to be announced soon would set new routes for vessels entering and leaving the Persian Gulf, with the inbound route lying entirely within Iranian territorial waters and part of the outbound route also passing through Iranian waters.
In parallel, The New Arab reported that Iraq closed three border crossings with Iran on Saturday after a drone attack on a Saudi Arabian pipeline that both Riyadh and Baghdad said was launched from Iraq, and said the closed crossings were Shalamsheh in Basra province, al-Shib in Missan, and al-Mandali in the central province of Diyala. The New Arab quoted an Iraqi security source saying the decision was "part of an intelligence effort to track down the perpetrators and prevent their escape... and to hinder the smuggling of drones through these crossings," while also noting that other border crossings with Iran were still open.