Iraq probes Saudi pipeline drone attack from its soil, sacks Maysan commander
Iraq said on Saturday it was investigating an attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline after confirming that the strike had originated from its territory. The government also dismissed a military commander as it moved to contain the fallout from allegations that local Iran-backed militias were involved.
The development comes as Iraq faces growing pressure to stop local militias from helping Iran-aligned groups elsewhere in the region. It also comes at a time when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are advancing along the country's west coast, in a setback for the Saudi-backed coalition that risks widening the regional conflict.
Iraqi authorities said attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline were launched from a site in Maysan province, near the border with Iran. In a statement issued early on Saturday, the government said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had ordered an investigation into the province's operations command and dismissed its commander. Saudi Arabia had shut the major cross-country pipeline on Friday, calling it a "precautionary measure" after it came under drone attack. In a separate statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attack involved several drones that came from Iraq, but added that the kingdom would not retaliate in order to give the Iraqi government "an opportunity to take the necessary measures".
Built in the 1980s, the East-West pipeline has been important to Saudi Arabia's oil exports after disruption in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. By early June, Saudi Arabia had raised oil exports from the Red Sea port at the end of the pipeline to more than 5 million barrels per day, according to the International Energy Agency. The Iraqi government has set a September 30 deadline for non-state groups to disarm, but some of the most powerful militias have said they will not comply. Tehran-backed Iraqi militias have carried out strikes on US-linked targets inside and outside Iraq since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and they have coordinated with Yemen's Houthi rebels in attacks on Saudi Arabia.
In a move that may be linked to the investigation, Iraq closed two key border crossings with Iran, stopping all passenger and commercial traffic until further notice, according to Iranian state media. Valiollah Hayati, deputy governor of Iran's Khuzestan province, said Iraqi officials had announced the closure of the Shalamcheh and Chazabeh crossings, which are among the main official crossing points between the two countries. He urged traders, drivers and travellers not to approach the crossings until further notice and said more information would be issued by the relevant authorities. Saudi Arabia and the United States had bombed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq in July after blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that had been claimed by the Houthis. Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis had helped the Iraqi militias plan and carry out those attacks.
The wider fighting is also raising fears for Yemen, where a fragile truce has largely held since 2022. The Houthis on Friday seized an island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping lane through which about 12 per cent of global trade passes. Their virtual control of the strait could push up global oil prices, already inflated by the six-month Iran-US war, while the route has become especially important for Saudi oil shipments after the disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The recent surge in fighting has sent more than 46,000 people fleeing, the UN migration agency said on Friday. The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's government since 2014, when they captured much of northern and central Yemen and the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia entered the war the following year in support of the government. The conflict has killed 150,000 people and pushed many others to the brink of famine, with 40 million people at stake in the Arab world's poorest country.
Overall, Iraq's investigation into the pipeline attack, the closure of its border crossings with Iran and the Houthi advances in Yemen have added to regional tensions, with pressure mounting on Baghdad to curb militia activity and prevent further escalation.
