Iraq reopens border crossings with Iran after drone attacks from its territory — pro-Iranian militias deny responsibility

Iraqi authorities announced on Sunday that passenger traffic has resumed at two main border crossings with Iran — al-Sheeb in the southern Maysan province and Shalamcheh in the southern Basra province — after they were closed on Saturday, as the American news agency Associated Press reports. According to Iraq’s Security Media Cell, cross-border trade will resume in the coming days.

Saturday’s closure followed drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory, which forced the renewed shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s strategic East-West pipeline — the artery that saves Saudi oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline had been restarted on September 23 after previous attacks, but the new strikes put it out of function again, increasing pressure on oil prices and on alternative export routes.

An umbrella group of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias denied responsibility for the drone attacks. The denial comes as Baghdad finds itself between two fires: Washington demands curbing attacks launched from Iraqi territory, while the militias remain close allies of Tehran in the US–Iran war.

The reopening of the crossings eases pressure on Iraq–Iran trade, but uncertainty remains high: with the Saudi pipeline shut down again and the Strait of Hormuz under blockade, each new drone attack threatens to raise fuel prices again on world markets.