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Iraqi authorities reopened on Tuesday a border crossing with Iran after closing it last month amid mounting U.S. pressure to isolate Tehran.
The Iraqi government closed the Al-Sheeb crossing in Missan province in October.
Two political sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the U.S. was pressuring Baghdad to close most crossings with neighboring Iran.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said in an Al Jazeera interview aired Sunday that the U.S. Treasury has formally asked Baghdad to close all but two of its border crossings with Iran.
"Closing the border crossings could be a punishment for Iran, but it would also hurt Iraq," he said, adding that bilateral trade is worth $15 billion to $18 billion a year, including about $4 billion in gas imports.
Washington proposed keeping one crossing open in Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and another elsewhere in the country, though the two have yet to be identified, Hussein noted.
The head of Iraq's border crossings authority, Alaa al-Waeli, told Iraqi News Agency (INA), the state news agency, that the Al-Sheeb crossing would reopen Tuesday morning after the completion of the "necessary procedures" required to resume operations and "ensure the smooth movement of travellers and goods."
He added that authorities would temporarily close the Al-Mandali border crossing in Diyala province starting on Friday for "maintenance."
The closure of the Al-Sheeb crossing sparked tensions between the central government and local authorities in Missan, with several protests erupting over the shutdown of a key route.
In September, Baghdad temporarily closed several crossings with Iran after authorities determined that an unclaimed drone attack on a Saudi pipeline originated from an area near Al-Sheeb.
Iraq and Iran are jointly investigating the attack on Saudi Arabia, the foreign minister said.
Pro-Iran armed groups have supported Tehran during the Middle East war, claiming hundreds of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and across the region. The reopening comes as Washington steps up pressure on Baghdad over Iran-aligned armed factions.
U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during a Nov. 5 phone call that he would target the groups and their leaders if they join any new war in support of Iran, Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar reported, citing sources.
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