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US asks Iraq to shut most Iran border crossings, Iraqi foreign minister says

By · Via Middle East Eye · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The U.S. Treasury's request targets numerous official and unofficial border points connecting Iraq and Iran as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against Tehran. Iraqi officials are currently engaged in active discussions with American counterparts to address the logistical and commercial difficulties of such a widespread closure. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein emphasized to Al Jazeera that shutting down the crossings poses substantial risks to domestic economic stability. The American pressure comes shortly after Iraq decided to shut down the busy Sheeb border crossing with Iran last month.

Key points

  • Washington is actively utilizing border restrictions in Iraq to amplify economic pressure…: Washington is actively utilizing border restrictions in Iraq to amplify economic pressure against neighboring Tehran.
  • Iraqi leadership cautions that acceding to the American request would cause significant h…: Iraqi leadership cautions that acceding to the American request would cause significant harm to Iraq's economy.
  • Bilateral discussions remain ongoing between the United States and Iraq regarding the fat…: Bilateral discussions remain ongoing between the United States and Iraq regarding the fate of the crossings.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

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US asks Iraq to shut most Iran border crossings, Iraqi foreign minister says

12 November 2026 18:06 GMT

The US Treasury has asked Iraq to close all border crossings with Iran except for two as part of Washington's policy of increasing economic pressure on Tehran, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

One exception is the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

"There are many official and unofficial border crossings with Iran, and closing all of them would be difficult and would affect our economy. The Americans are still demanding the closure of the crossings, and we are currently in discussions with them," Hussein said.

Last month, Iraq closed the busy Sheeb border crossing with Iran.

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