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Iraq Resists Iranian Pressure to Reopen Border

(New York Times) Alissa J. Rubin - Iraq closed its border with Iran on March 8 to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Iran needs trade with Iraq to help stabilize its economy and wants the border reopened immediately. The dispute comes at a time of mounting pressure in Iraq to reduce Iran's influence. The coronavirus first arrived in Iraq from Iran, and only through strenuous efforts has Iraq kept its caseload relatively low, with only 82 deaths attributed to the virus by Monday. Iran is one of the world's coronavirus epicenters, with more than 75,000 cases and 5,200 deaths reported. In the coronavirus era, with the health of Iraqis at stake, the push to distance the country from Iran has gained broader appeal. Political observers see Iraq's resistance to reopening the border as a signal that Iraqis no longer want Iran to assume it can get what it wants from their country, when it wants. "Many Iraqis understand that there are many negative sides in this relationship that damage the Iraqis," said Yaseen al-Bakri, a political science professor at Al Nahrain University in Baghdad. "They have concerns about mentioning these things publicly. But today, the virus has given them an acceptable way to say it."
2020-04-22 00:00:00
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