BAGHDAD -- Iran’s embassy in Baghdad on Saturday strongly rejected allegations by an adviser to Iraq’s prime minister that the Al-Shib (Chazabeh) border crossing was closed because of drug and counterfeit currency smuggling, demanding that Iraqi authorities take an official position on remarks it said damage relations between the two countries.
The dispute centers on comments made on Wednesday by Abdul Amir al-Taiban, an adviser to Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, who accused Iran of violating Iraq’s security, harming its economy and trafficking narcotics and counterfeit currency through the Al-Shib crossing in Maysan province. 
In a statement, the embassy said it “strongly denies the false claims” and expects “the relevant authorities to take a position regarding claims that harm relations between the two countries.”
The closure was ordered on Wednesday, with a government source telling Al-Ain that Washington had sent a message through the U.S. Treasury demanding the closure of the border with Iran, and that while Baghdad initially refused, the American side later proposed keeping only two crossings open. 
The same source said Zaidi was told the move was part of a “policy of economic pressure on Iran”. Zaidi’s adviser then publicly levelled the smuggling allegations—claims Tehran’s embassy rejected on Saturday.
The closure has triggered immediate protests. Dozens of heavy truck drivers and cargo vehicle owners gathered in Maysan on Thursday, demanding the reopening of the crossing, which they described as a “lifeline” for the governorate’s economy. 
Protesters told local media that vehicle owners, drivers, customs brokers and traders all depend on the crossing for their livelihoods, and warned that food prices were already rising. 
“The closure cut off the livelihoods of those working in transport and trade,” one protester, Ibrahim Jaber, said.
The economic stakes extend well beyond Maysan. A member of the Sulaymaniyah Chamber of Commerce said markets in the Kurdistan Region rely on Iranian goods for up to 65% of their supplies, warning that a broader closure would
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