Iraq blocks 1,750 head of cattle at border over foot-and-mouth disease

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry has ordered the suspension of a shipment of 1,750 head of cattle imported for slaughter through the Trebil border crossing with Jordan after veterinary authorities found the animals were infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

The ministry said Agriculture Minister Abdul Rahim al-Shammari directed officials to block the cattle, which originated in Colombia, to protect Iraq’s livestock sector. The decision followed procedures by the Veterinary Directorate, which recommended precautionary action. Al-Shammari stressed the importance of supplying local markets with meat from approved suppliers and preventing infected animals from entering, which the ministry said would help protect public health.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a severe and highly contagious viral illness that primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It does not spread to humans through meat or dairy products.

In late May, the ministry announced a temporary suspension of livestock transit from Syria toward Iraq and Gulf countries following reports of foot-and-mouth outbreaks in several Syrian governorates. Iraq itself faced a major outbreak earlier in 2025. In February that year, 654 buffalo and cattle died and more than 3,000 infections were recorded nationwide, the highest concentration in Baghdad, mostly among unvaccinated and newborn animals. The outbreak prompted movement restrictions and the closure of animal gathering areas in several governorates, with separate outbreaks later affecting parts of Duhok, where veterinarians linked recurring infections to low vaccination rates.