Iran was said to have been infiltrating Iraq at several points along
their 1,000 kilometer border. In the north, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps has captured three Kurdish facilities and established a presence
10 kilometers inside Iraq's Kurdistan region, Middle East Newsline reported.
In the Diyala province, Iran was accused of blocking the Wand River, the
leading source of water for farmers and communities in the border region. In
retaliation, Iraqis, organized by Sunni groups, blocked Iranian pilgrims
from entering Iraq and visiting Shi'ite shrines.
"The agricultural situation is the result of the disaster by Iran to cut
off the river, which provides water for both drinking and agriculture,"
Iraqi parliamentarian Yusef Ahmed said.
The largest protest took place at the border point of Al Muntheriya,
where more than 1,000 Iranians have been denied entry since July 10. Iraqi
police have not tried to disperse the Sunni protesters.
Over the last year, Iraq has sought to resolve several border disputes
with Iran. In June, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari asserted that
Baghdad and Teheran have achieved "significant progress in the demarcation
of land and maritime borders."
Officials said Iran appeared to be exploiting preparations by the U.S.
military to withdraw from Iraq over the next five months. They said IRGC has
been pouring money and weapons to sustain attacks on U.S. troops and
facilities, particularly in the Baghdad area.
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