Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, announced that a UAV launch platform linked to attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline had been found on Iraqi territory.
Numan said experts were continuing to examine the platform and that efforts to identify those responsible for the attacks were ongoing. He said Iraq pursued a policy of allowing neither its territory to be targeted nor its territory to be used in attacks against another country, adding that intelligence sharing with Saudi Arabia was also continuing.
Iraq and Iran to investigate border area
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi agreed, at Iran’s request, to conduct a joint investigation into UAV launch platforms located near the border between the two countries.
The investigation aims to determine the details of the platforms in the border area and the circumstances in which they were used.
Pipeline attacks in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia had announced that UAVs said to have come from Iraq had targeted the East-West Oil Pipeline. While injuries and damage were reported in the attacks, the Iraqi government confirmed that they had been launched from a location in Maysan province.
Following the development, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi dismissed the commander of operations in Maysan and the director of security in Maysan. Zaydi also referred the heads of security agencies in the province for investigation.
Saudi Arabia announced that, at Prime Minister Zaydi’s request, it had chosen not to retaliate at this stage. Riyadh said it reserved the right to take the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security.
