Iraq’s foreign minister Hussein said on Nov. 8 the U.S. has asked Iraq to close
most land border crossings with Iran as part of U.S. Treasury measures to
pressure Iran’s economy. Washington requested closing all crossings except two;
one of the exempt crossings leads to the Kurdistan region. At the direction of
Prime Minister Al-Zaidi, the Al-Sib border crossing has been closed since Oct.
21, halting passenger travel and commercial freight. The closure has lasted 18
days and has triggered protests in Maysan province.
