Iraq says US asked it to shut most Iran border crossings

The US Treasury has asked Iraq to close all of its border crossings with Iran except two, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said in an interview with Al Jazeera. He described the request as part of Washington's effort to raise economic pressure on Tehran, Reuters reported on November 8. One of the two crossings that would stay open is in the Kurdistan Region, according to The Jerusalem Post. The Treasury has not publicly confirmed the request.miamiherald.com+1

Hussein said Baghdad has not agreed to the request and is still negotiating. "There are many official and unofficial border crossings with Iran, and closing all of them would be difficult and would affect our economy," he said, as quoted by The New Arab. "The Americans are still demanding the closure of the crossings, and we are currently in discussions with them."newarab.com

Closures already underway

Iraq has already closed some crossings. On October 21, it shut the Sheeb crossing in Maysan province to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks. A border official told Reuters the closure was to review security and install equipment to detect smuggling, and that existing measures there were "weak and inadequate," Reuters reported. An Iraqi government official told The National that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered the closure and that more crossings would be shut gradually. Iran's Interior Ministry said it received no advance notice, which it said bilateral rules require for any closure lasting more than a day.miamiherald.com+1

The US request was reported before Hussein spoke about it. In October, two Iraqi political sources told AFP that Washington was pressing Baghdad to close its Iran crossings. One of them said Treasury officials raised the issue with al-Zaidi in New York during the UN General Assembly, and that one crossing in federal territory and one in Kurdistan would remain open, Peregraf reported. Sheeb carries food, building materials and Iranian pilgrims, and trade between Iraq and Iran topped $10 billion last year, according to bne IntelliNews.peregraf.com+1

War costs and Hormuz oil route

Hussein made the remarks while describing how the Iran war has hit Iraq's economy. He said Iraq's losses from the war and from disrupted oil exports have reached $60 billion. He also said Baghdad has reached an understanding with Washington that lets Iraqi oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz on a shipping lane near Oman, The Jerusalem Post reported. Iraqi officials said oil exports rose to about 3.5 million barrels per day in October, up from 2.65 million in September.store.jpost.com

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said ceasefire talks have stalled after the US midterm elections. "It will take some time for things to settle down and for the atmosphere to become conducive to the mediators resuming their visits. We have to wait," he said, according to ANI.bignewsnetwork.com