Iraq-Iran border fence in Diyala faces corruption allegations

Shafaq News- Diyala

An Iraqi border fence in Diyala province has allegedly been built up to six kilometers inside Iraqi territory, raising corruption concerns over the project’s implementation, a member of the Diyala Provincial Council, Aws al-Mahdawi, told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

The Iraqi contractor had secured a government ministry contract to demarcate the border and construct a wall along the Iraq-Iran frontier, al-Mahdawi added. However, he said the fence deviated from the border by about four kilometers in some areas, reaching six kilometers in others.

The contractor was building the fence across flat terrain while avoiding valleys and hills to reduce the costs of constructing roads, culverts, and other infrastructure required in rugged areas, al-Mahdawi noted, adding that the cost-cutting approach came at the expense of large areas of Iraqi land and constituted corruption.

“The issue is not with Iran, but with the Iraqi contractor and the way the project is being implemented,” al-Mahdawi said, clarifying that the fence’s route left large areas of Diyala outside Iraq’s borders.

He called on the prime minister to intervene urgently, investigate the allegations, verify the fence’s route against official border demarcations, correct any violations, hold those responsible accountable, and protect Iraqi territory.