Iraq’s Iran-aligned Badr Organization, led by Hadi al-Amiri, expressed anger on Sunday over remarks by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein concerning the closure of land border crossings with Iran.
The closure of the al-Sheeb crossing in the southern province of Maysan continues to draw opposition from Tehran-aligned groups and businesses whose livelihoods depend on cross-border trade. The dispute also involves networks that exploit weak oversight and security procedures to smuggle prohibited goods.
Truck drivers have staged repeated protests demanding the reopening of the crossing.
The controversy resurfaced after Hussein told Al Jazeera that the US had formally asked Iraq to close all its border crossings with Iran except two.
Some political sources believe the request may have been conveyed during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack last week, or during an earlier telephone conversation between al-Zaidi and President Donald Trump.
According to the prime minister’s media office, the call addressed the importance of coordination and consultation between Baghdad and Washington on current challenges and efforts to support regional stability.
Al-Zaidi reaffirmed Iraq’s position on respecting state sovereignty and preventing its territory from being used to launch attacks against neighboring countries.
Iraqi authorities closed the al-Sheeb crossing on October 21, citing the need to review security arrangements and procedures, as well as inadequate technical infrastructure and surveillance equipment requiring upgrades.
The decision drew criticism from parties and groups allied with or close to Iran, which portrayed it as compliance with US pressure and the economic blockade imposed on Tehran.
An official at Iraq’s Border Ports Authority confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that four of the five crossings with Iran remained open, with al-Sheeb the only one still closed.
Security sources, however, suggested that the shutdown was linked to sensitive security concerns, particularly reports that the crossing had served as a route for carrying out missile attacks against Saudi Arabia on October 10.
Badr rejects US demands
In a statement, the Badr Organization said it had followed recent developments, particularly Hussein’s disclosure of American requests and what it described as dictates to close border crossings with Iran.
The Badr parliamentary bloc categorically rejected those demands, insisting on Iraq’s national sovereignty.
“What the minister’s remarks contradict the previous technical justifications and exposes agendas targeting our resistance-minded south and interfering in sovereign decision-making,” the bloc declared.
The statement referred to the government’s earlier explanations for closing the crossing.
Badr maintained that Iraq was a fully sovereign state and that its people and national political forces would not stand idly by in the face of any violation of sovereignty or submission to foreign agendas harmful to the country’s interests.
The Iran-aligned organization also denounced what it called policies of economic blockade and the starvation of populations, underscoring the longstanding ties between Baghdad and Tehran.
“Iraqi-Iranian relations are deep-rooted, forged through the blood shed for liberation and in confronting terrorism,” it stated.
“We categorically reject Iraq becoming a tool in a campaign to besiege the Muslim Iranian people. Participation in such efforts would betray our fraternal commitments and squander the sacrifices of the martyrs.”
Badr argued that the continued closure of major border crossings, particularly al-Sheeb, had inflicted significant economic hardship on residents and disrupted livelihoods.
The organization urged the government to uphold Iraq’s declared policy of staying out of regional conflicts and avoid being drawn into “hegemonic policies” and “illegal wars” that fuel regional tensions.
It demanded the immediate reopening of border crossings, insisting that the interests of Iraqi citizens and national sovereignty take precedence over foreign pressure.
