In a strange scene, on Saturday, dozens of Iraqis stormed the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran, and forced the protection of the port to step aside before allowing trucks on the Iranian side to pass into Iraqi territory without being subject to administrative processes or regular inspections.

Video clips broadcast on social media platforms showed dozens of storming the Shalamcheh border crossing in Basra Governorate, in the presence of leaders in the Popular Mobilization and members of Parliament, before allowing truck drivers from Iran to enter Iraqi territory.

@abo_torab_altamemi #a_torab_altamemi #border_ports #popular_crowd #martyrs_of_Iraq #Basra #media_mobilization_tiktok #ramadan_unite us #hasdawi #hasdawi #Abu Turab_Tamimi #pride of Iraq #our holy crowd #celebrity #celebrities #tiktok #Basra ✌️🇮🇶 #Iraqi #Basra ✌️❤️ Original sound - Abu Turab Al-Tamimi

The leader of the Popular Mobilization, Abu Turab al-Tamimi, appeared - in a video clip he posted on his account on Tik Tok - in which he confirmed that the border crossings in the central and southern regions of Iraq must all be opened, indicating that the closure of these outlets targets residents of the central and southern regions.

And the Iraqi Customs General Authority announced - in a statement published on its Facebook page yesterday, Saturday - directing its general manager, Shaker Al-Zubaidi, to the Shalamcheh border customs center to expedite the procedures for entering agricultural and food products through the port and facilitate procedures in accordance with the controls and instructions in force.

The General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers announced last Wednesday the opening of the door to import all foodstuffs for a period of 3 months.

Last Thursday, the Border Ports Authority in Iraq attributed the delay in imported foodstuffs and agricultural crops to the inability of importers to obtain official approvals.

Representatives from Basra province had sent an official letter to the federal government, calling for the speedy opening of the southern outlets to enter foodstuffs without setting "impossible" conditions and limitations.

Yesterday, Saturday, the deputies set the last date to open the Shalamcheh port for the entry of goods and foodstuffs, otherwise it will be opened by force, explaining that "we will not allow the south to starve."

The storming of the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran, and its opening to the movement of trucks loaded with goods, provoked wide Iraqi reactions on social media platforms.

Activist Muhammad al-Yasiri said - via his Twitter account - that the governor of Basra, Asaad al-Eidani, and some representatives of Basra disregard the decisions of the central government and are sponsoring demonstrations to open the Shalamjah port.

Al-Eidani and some of the representatives of Basra disregard the decisions of the central government and support and sponsor demonstrations that open the Shalamcheh crossing.

The poor citizen suffers because of the high prices, he does not care about the strategic dimension of the issue and does not concern him, as this matter is the responsibility of the government, not the citizen..it follows

— Muhammad Al-Yasiri ✪ (@M_Al_Yasiri) April 9, 2022

Al-Yasiri added that "the poor citizen suffers because of the high prices, and does not care about the strategic dimension of the issue and does not concern him, as this matter is the responsibility of the government, not the citizen," noting that "the country is heading to the abyss day after day because of prosthetic solutions."

Activist Thaer Al-Ghanmi described the opening of the Shalamcheh crossing as a brave act, and it is credited to the deputies of the coordination framework.

Opening the Shalamcheh port in front of the movement of goods imported from Iran is a brave act. The Shiites


’ representatives think that the threat to the citizen’s livelihood is the real test for the minerals of loyal officials, and these representatives, with their stance, have proven their closeness to the people’s concerns. Congratulations to you on the commemoration of the martyrdom of the first Sadr and his pure sister in word and deed.

— Thaer Al-Ghanimi (@thaeralghanimi) April 9, 2022

Researcher Kazem Al-Badhani commented - via his Twitter account - saying, "When I saw the pictures of opening the Shalamcheh port, I imagined that they were a group of people who closed the border crossings to protect the national product, but they stormed the gates to enter Iranian trucks without inspection and customs duties."

Al-Badhani added, "Perhaps someone says that prices are high, so it was better for you to go out to the government to support your agriculture and industry and open factories."

Political analyst Ghaleb al-Shabandar praised - in his post on TokTok - what the protestors did by opening the Shalamcheh crossing, noting that so far the borders in central and southern Iraq have not been opened to cross foodstuffs, but only opened to construction materials, pointing out at the same time. The borders between the Kurdistan region and neighboring countries are open to all food and construction materials.

A member of the Sadrist movement, Issam Hussein, said - via his Twitter account - "The number of trucks that entered from the Shalamcheh crossing is 12 without inspection, and after that the demonstrators withdrew. I do not think that this small number of trucks will satisfy 20 million Shiites in the center and south."

The number of trucks that entered the Shalamcheh crossing was 12 without inspection, after which the demonstrators withdrew. I do not think that this small number of trucks will satisfy the 20 million Shiites in the center and the south.

— Issam Hussein (@IssamHussein19) April 9, 2022

On the other hand, researcher and political analyst Haider Al-Barzanji wrote - on his Twitter account - that since yesterday, the follower has sensed the amount of annoyance and excitement that was emanating from the Sadrist movement and some activists regarding the Shalamcheh port.

Al-Barzanji added, "Do you think you have a national conscience and a societal feeling towards the sons of Iraq, especially the center and the south? Did you think of an alternative before you unconsciously set off and attack the people of Basra?"