Iraq’s Karkh Third Investigative Court issued an arrest warrant on Sunday for Mustafa Daeir, head of the Maysan Provincial Council, following threats to declare civil disobedience and block roads in protest against the continued closure of the al-Shaib border crossing with Iran.
A judicial document dated October 25, 2026, stated that the Prime Minister’s Office had filed a formal complaint seeking legal action against Daeir over his remarks, which included threatening the federal government and giving it three days to reopen the crossing.
According to the document, the court recorded testimony from Mustafa Mohammed Hamid, the Prime Minister’s legal representative. The contents of a compact disc submitted by him were also transcribed, and the resulting report was added to the investigation file.
The arrest warrant was issued under the second part of Article 224 of Iraq’s amended Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, with the Public Prosecution notified of the proceedings.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had previously ordered an investigation into Daeir’s statements, in which he threatened civil disobedience, road closures and to “separate the governorate from the body of Iraq” if the al-Shaib crossing remained closed.
Daeir had given the federal government until the following Thursday to reopen the crossing, warning during a press conference at the border that further action would be taken if his demand was not met.
The dispute coincided with protests in Maysan, where dozens of demonstrators blocked the strategic Bazarkan road leading to oil companies, opposing the continued closure of the crossing. Security forces were deployed around the protest area.
The Iraqi government announced the closure of the al-Shaib border crossing with Iran until further notice on October 20. The decision prompted dissatisfaction from Iran’s Interior Ministry, which said Tehran had not received prior notification from Baghdad.
