Iraq-Iran passengers rerouted to Shalamcheh as Sheeb crossing shuts to all traffic

Iraq has closed the Sheeb border crossing with Iran — known as Chazabeh on the Iranian side — to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks, and further closures along the frontier have been reported. Conflicting accounts emerged on Wednesday over Baghdad's plans, leaving travellers and hauliers uncertain about which crossings remain open.

Key facts

• Sheeb/Chazabeh is closed to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks.
• An Iranian official advises travellers and trucks to use the nearby Shalamcheh crossing instead.
• Reports say further crossings could be shut gradually in the coming days.
• One reported proposal would leave only two crossings open: one in federal Iraq and one in the Kurdistan region.
• Pakistan suspended commercial activity at two crossings with Iran on 17 October; Iranian authorities said the border reopened on Tuesday.

What is happening at the border?

Iraqi government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said the Sheeb crossing was closed because it lacked sufficient technical, technological and developmental readiness, according to the official Iraqi News Agency. He said trade was proceeding normally through several other crossings with Iran.

Reuters reported that Sheeb had been closed to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks. An Iraqi border official told the agency the closure would allow security arrangements to be reviewed and detection equipment installed to prevent the smuggling of prohibited materials.

Other accounts point to wider disruption. Al Jazeera cited an Iraqi government official on Tuesday as saying Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had ordered Sheeb closed indefinitely and several other crossings gradually shut in the coming days. No reason was given for the planned closures.

Why might more crossings close?

AFP reported on Wednesday, citing two Iraqi political sources, that Washington was pressing Baghdad to close crossings with Iran as part of efforts to increase economic pressure on Tehran. One source said the US Treasury Department raised the issue with Zaidi during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly last month, and that the proposed restrictions would leave only two crossings open — one in federal Iraq and another in the Kurdistan region. The second source said Washington had asked other countries bordering Iran to take similar measures.

Iranian officials said they had received no advance warning of the closure. Iranian Interior Ministry spokesperson Ali Zeinivand said Iraq was required to notify Tehran of extended border closures but had not done so. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran's borders had become places where traffic was held up rather than allowed to pass, and that the Foreign Ministry would seek to resolve obstacles originating in neighbouring countries.

What this means for travellers

Valiollah Hayati, a security official in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province, said consultations were under way with Iraqi authorities to reopen Sheeb. He advised passengers and commercial trucks to use the nearby Shalamcheh crossing.

Anyone planning to cross between Iraq and Iran should confirm the status of their intended crossing before travelling, as reports differ on which points are open and further closures have been flagged for the coming days.

Wider disruption in the region

The uncertainty comes days after Pakistan suspended commercial activity at two major crossings with Iran, Taftan-Mirjaveh and Gabd-Rimdan, on 17 October. Iranian authorities said the border reopened on Tuesday, although the resumption of normal commercial traffic at both crossings has not been independently confirmed.

Iran and Iraq share a border of more than 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) and have extensive political, religious and economic ties. No timeline has been announced for reopening Sheeb or for any further closures.