Mustafa Daeer, head of the Maysan Provincial Council, threatened that if the Iraqi government does not reopen the Shayeb border crossing with Iran, they will secede their province from Iraq. He has given the central government a 3-day deadline to implement their demand.
The head of the Maysan Provincial Council stated that if their demand is not answered, they will resort to “civil disobedience” and block roads under the province’s jurisdiction. The threat comes as a number of protesters in Maysan have blocked access routes to their oil companies and raised the slogan “Neither borders nor oil,” in a reference to their rejection of the continued closure of the crossing.
The Iraqi government decided in 20 October 2026 to close the Shayeb border crossing with Iran, and the decision took effect from the morning of 21 October, completely halting the movement of travelers and commercial exchange until an unspecified time.
It is worth noting that this crossing is the main source of income for thousands of families in Maysan Province, and its closure has led to widespread public discontent in the province.
