MAYSAN, Iraq (Dispatches) -- 
Dozens of Iraqis blocked a main road leading to oil companies in the southern province of Maysan on Sunday to protest the federal government’s closure of the al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran, as the provincial council head threatened civil disobedience if the crossing is not reopened by Thursday.
The protesters closed the strategic Bazargan road, which serves oil company operations in the province, chanting slogans demanding the decision be reversed, according to Shafaq News. Security forces deployed heavily around the protest site.
The Iraqi government announced on Tuesday it was closing the al-Sheeb crossing, opposite Iran’s Chazzabeh border point in Khuzestan province, until further notice. 
Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi cited a lack of technical and logistical readiness at the crossing, saying trade with Iran continues through other border points. 
Two political sources told Agence France-Presse that Washington has been pressuring Baghdad to close crossings with Iran to tighten economic pressure on Tehran.
The closure has driven sharp increases in vegetable and fruit prices in Maysan’s markets, prompting residents on social media to demand the crossing be reopened and commercial traffic resume.
Mustafa Adair al-Muhammadawi, head of the Maysan provincial council, gave the federal government until Thursday to reopen the crossing, warning of civil disobedience and road blockages if it fails to respond. He also threatened to separate the province from Iraq if the closure continues.
The al-Sheeb crossing is used for the movement of passengers and goods between the two countries. It was previously closed in September alongside other border crossings, with Iraqi authorities citing administrative and security arrangements and investigations into violations before traffic gradually resumed.
The protest in Maysan coincides with commemorations in Baghdad marking the seventh anniversary of the October 2019 protest movement, where demonstrators renewed demands for accountability and economic reform. 
The convergence of grievances in the oil-rich south with the symbolic protests in the capital underscores mounting pressure on the government over living conditions and perceived subservience to external pressures.
More than 1,000 Iraqis gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the “October Revolution” (Tishreen), with demonstrators demanding accountability for the killing of protesters and the recovery of embezzled public funds.
This is the most significant development in Iraq on Sunday. Demonstrators waved Iraqi flags and chanted slogans recalling the 2019 protests, which were regarded as one of the largest waves of protest in Iraq’s modern history.
Iraqi security forces deployed heavily in and around Tahrir Square early Sunday morning. According to reports, there was “friction” between demonstrators and security forces at the square, without further details being provided.