Travellers and trucks shut out of two Iraq-Iran crossings as Sheeb closes

Iraq has closed the Sheeb border crossing with Iran to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks until further notice, two sources at the crossing said on Wednesday 21 October 2026. The route is a major crossing for both people and trade and leads into Iraq's Maysan Governorate, in the south of the country.

The move came as the United States presses Baghdad to close border crossings with Iran and to rein in Iranian-backed militias, while Iran pushes Iraq to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition groups.

Key facts

• Sheeb crossing (also known as Al-Shaib) closed to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks on 21 October 2026, until further notice
• The crossing connects Iran with Iraq's Maysan Governorate
• Shalamcheh crossing was ordered closed in September as a precaution after drone attacks on Saudi Arabia
• Iraq has seven land border crossings with Iran, plus seasonal local crossings
• Iranian flights have been limited to Najaf Airport, after restrictions at other Iraqi airports

What has closed, and where?

Sheeb is the first crossing to be closed in Maysan Governorate, and the shutdown began on Wednesday. The closure covers all movement — passengers, private vehicles and commercial trucks.

Iraq and Iran share seven land border crossings. They lie in the Basra and Maysan governorates in the south, Wasit and Diyala in the centre, and Sulaymaniyah and Erbil in the north, along with seasonal local crossings. A report from Al-Ain News in the United Arab Emirates named the main ones as Shalamcheh, Al-Shaib, Zurbatiyah, Al-Mundhiriyah, Mandali, Bashmakh, Parvizkhan and Haji Omran, describing them as a vital artery for trade and for travellers and visitors moving between the two countries.

Shalamcheh, in Basra province, was ordered closed in September as a precaution following drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh saying the drones had been launched from Iraq. The crossing area was also said to be near a location used by Iranian-backed militias in an attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline in September.

What is happening with flights?

Iraq had also been under pressure to suspend incoming Iranian flights. Baghdad's response was to allow Iranian airlines to fly to Najaf while restricting other airports, citing the need for Iranian Shi'ite pilgrims to reach holy sites in Iraq. Al-Ain reported that flight restrictions had suspended services at a number of Iraqi airports before exceptional arrangements allowed Iranian flights to continue through Najaf Airport.

Why is this happening?

A government source told Al-Ain that Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi informed leaders of the Shi'ite Coordination Framework at a meeting late on Monday that the government had received a message from the US Treasury Department demanding closure of the borders with Iran, but that Baghdad rejected the request. The report said the US suggested keeping only two crossings open — one in the north and the Mehran crossing in the centre, linking Iraq's Wasit Governorate with Iran's Ilam — and that Iraq rejected the decisions in its response to US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack.

The source said Zaidi had received information indicating that war between Iran and the United States is imminent and that Iraq cannot be involved. The report also noted pressure on Iraq over Kurdish Iranian opposition groups; Iran's ambassador to Iraq wrote on 20 October that Iraq would expel the groups, and Iran's consul in Erbil has also threatened them.

What this means for travellers

Anyone planning to cross between Iraq and Iran by land should check the status of the specific crossing before travelling. Sheeb is shut indefinitely to all traffic, Shalamcheh has been closed since September, and no reopening date has been announced for either. Flights between the two countries are limited, with Iranian services routed to Najaf Airport.

No end date has been given for the Sheeb closure, and the source does not say whether further crossings will be shut.