Iraq reopens Al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran

Iraqi authorities reopened the Al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran on Tuesday after closing it in October, as Baghdad faced US pressure to isolate Tehran.

Alaa al-Waeli, head of Iraq's border crossings authority, told the state news agency INA that Al-Sheeb, in Missan province, would reopen on Tuesday morning after the completion of procedures needed to resume operations and allow the movement of travellers and goods.

He said authorities would temporarily close the Al-Mandali crossing in Diyala province from Friday for maintenance.

Two political sources told AFP that the United States had been pressing Baghdad to close most crossings with neighbouring Iran. The Al-Sheeb closure had triggered tensions between Iraq's central government and local authorities in Missan, with several protests over the shutdown of a key route.

In September, Baghdad temporarily closed several crossings with Iran after authorities determined that an unclaimed drone attack on a Saudi pipeline originated from an area near Al-Sheeb.