Iraq probes drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, shuts three crossings to Iran

What Happened

Iraq is investigating drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline that it confirms were launched from Iraqi territory, and has temporarily closed three border crossings with Iran. An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the closed crossings are Shalamcheh in Basra province, al-Shib in Maysan province, and Mandali in Diyala province; Al Jazeera’s Jack Hewson reported that the al-Tayyib border area of Maysan was also shut after drone launchers were discovered there. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the military commander in Maysan province and ordered an investigation into the province’s operations command; the prime minister’s office said the attack was launched from Maysan province. Al-Zaidi approved an Iranian request for a joint investigation into the discovery of drone launch platforms near the border, according to Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The suspension removes Saudi Arabia’s only major alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which the article says remains partially closed as the US and Iran wrestle for control of the strategic waterway. Without the pipeline, Riyadh has no feasible way to export oil on a significant scale until the suspension is lifted or Hormuz is officially reopened, which could push wholesale prices higher and increase Iran’s leverage as the US-Israeli war on Iran nears the seven-month mark. The attack also occurs amid a Houthi offensive that has seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline and a Houthi declaration that ships belonging to Saudi Arabia will not be allowed through the Red Sea.

Watch For

Watch for the result of Iraq’s search operation in Maysan’s al-Tayyib border area and any formal findings from the joint Iraq-Iran investigation into the drone launch platforms; whether the three closed crossings reopen; whether any group claims responsibility; and whether Saudi Arabia resumes the East-West pipeline. Also monitor potential responses from Riyadh or Washington and whether Houthi threats to bar Saudi ships from the Red Sea are tested.