US presses Iraq to close border crossings with the Islamic Republic

The United States is pressing the Iraqi government to close its border crossings with Iran in order to increase economic pressure on the Islamic Republic. Two Iraqi political sources reported this on Wednesday 21 October 2026, a day after, as DIAR's earlier report noted, the Sheeb crossing in Maysan province was closed until further notice.

According to one of the sources, Washington's proposed plan would leave only two crossings open between Iraq and Iran: one in federal Iraq and the other in the Kurdistan Region. The same source said the US Treasury raised the matter last month with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during his trip to New York for the UN General Assembly. The second source said Washington has also asked Iran's other neighbours to take similar steps.

Baghdad's official account

Haidar al-Aboudi, the Iraqi government spokesman, attributed the closure of the Sheeb crossing to a lack of "technical, technological and development readiness" and said trade is continuing normally through several other crossings. An Iraqi border official also said the halt is to review security arrangements and install detection equipment to prevent the smuggling of prohibited goods.

Reaction of Islamic Republic officials

Islamic Republic officials said they had received no notice before Sheeb was closed. Ali Zeinivand, spokesman for the interior ministry, said Iraq should give advance notice of prolonged closures of crossings and had not done so. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also criticised the disruption at the borders.

This pressure, together with the halt to trade at the Taftan and Rimdan crossings with Pakistan and the US naval blockade, is further narrowing the Islamic Republic's overland trade routes. Iran and Iraq share a border of more than 1,400 kilometres.

Washington wants Iraq's 1,400-kilometre border with the Islamic Republic limited to two crossings.