Protesters close companies road in Maysan to protest closure of the Shib crossing

Dozens of citizens, on Sunday, closed the main road leading to the oil companies in Maysan province in response to the federal government's decision to close the Shib border crossing with Iran.

A correspondent reported that the protesters blocked the vital "Bazarkan" road to the oil companies and chanted slogans demanding the reversal of the closure decision, while the demonstration site was encircled by a heavy security presence.

The fallout from the decision led to a sharp rise in vegetable and fruit prices in the province's markets, prompting citizens on social media to call for the reopening of the crossing and the resumption of commercial traffic between the two sides.

The Iraqi government had announced, on October 20, the closure of the Shib crossing until further notice, a step that drew the displeasure of Iran's Interior Ministry, which said it had not received prior notification from Baghdad of the decision.