The key facts
- Baghdad denies the existence of Houthi bases and states it will not become a platform for attacks on neighboring countries
- The al-Sheib (Chazabe) crossing is closed from early Wednesday morning until further notice
- The official reason is technical unpreparedness; a source in the Coordination Framework speaks of a security check and dollar smuggling
Denial of reports about Houthi bases
The Iraqi government on Wednesday denied reports about the presence of bases of Yemeni Houthis on its territory. As reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), official government spokesman Haider al-Abudi stated that the country has neither headquarters nor Houthi bases, and Baghdad will not allow its territory to be used to threaten neighboring countries. According to him, Iraq will not host armed groups participating in any conflict, and the presence of armed formations from other countries violates constitutional principles. 'Iraq will not become a launching point for attacks against neighboring countries and will not host armed groups participating in the conflict,' the agency quotes him as saying.
Reaction to reports on social media
According to the Iraqi outlet Ultra Iraq, al-Abudi also rejected reports circulating on social media about Houthi bases, noting that the government has no grounds to take measures regarding facilities that do not exist.
Closure of the al-Sheib crossing
At the same time, al-Abudi confirmed the closure of the al-Sheib border crossing on the border with Iran due to the lack of technical, technological and infrastructural readiness. According to him, the closure is aimed at improving the technical and logistical capabilities of the crossing, and trade with Iran continues uninterrupted through a number of other points. Iraqi authorities closed the crossing early on Wednesday morning, suspending passenger and cargo traffic until further notice.
Different versions of the reasons for the closure
Ultra Iraq, citing a source in the Coordination Framework, reported that the closure was ordered by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to check security measures at the crossing. According to the source, the measure is also aimed at curbing dollar smuggling and is not related to US sanctions against Iran. The official version of the authorities, meanwhile, cites technical unpreparedness as the reason.
Position of the Iranian side
Deputy Governor of Iran's Khuzestan province for security affairs Valiollah Hayati confirmed to the Tasnim agency that the Chazabe crossing (al-Sheib in Iraqi) is closed for passenger and commercial traffic until further notice. He said that travelers and businessmen should use the Shalamcheh crossing while Iranian authorities coordinate with Iraq on the reopening of Chazabe.
