Stranded travellers let through as authority calls Iran crossing closures routine

BAGHDAD — Travellers stranded on both sides of the Shalamcheh and Shib crossings were allowed through on Saturday on the prime minister’s instructions, while the Border Ports Authority said the closures on the Iranian border were temporary and organisational, making no mention of the drone attack on Saudi Arabia that preceded them by hours.

Security Media Cell chief Saad Maan said the travellers had been permitted to enter and exit under instructions from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. Dozens of Iraqi families had been stranded at Shalamcheh in Basra after it closed.

The measures are “temporary measures, introduced for organizational and rehabilitation purposes aimed at reorganizing work inside these crossings, raising the level of preparedness and developing inspection and control mechanisms,” the authority said, adding that it was completing the work “in preparation for resuming operations once the required procedures are completed.” It gave no date. Traffic with Iran “has not stopped and continues through the Zurbatiyah and Al-Mundhiriya crossings 24 hours a day,” it said.

The Security Media Cell gave a different account on Friday, describing administrative and security reorganisation at a number of crossings following “breaches and violations” there, with intelligence work intensified and investigations under way into what had occurred.

Shalamcheh, Shib and Mandali were closed hours after Saudi Arabia said several drones launched from Iraqi territory hit its East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage. Riyadh said it would not retaliate at this stage after Zaidi asked for time to prevent further attacks. Spokesperson for the commander-in-chief Sabah al-Numan said the drones were launched from Maysan governorate, which borders Iran, after which Zaidi dismissed the Maysan Operations commander, formed an investigative council, and on Saturday removed the governorate’s police chief and referred the heads of its security agencies for investigation.