Saudi Arabia says drones launched from Iraq struck East-West oil pipeline
Riyadh says the pipeline was temporarily shut after injuries and material damage, while Iraq condemned the attack and ordered an investigation.
Saudi Arabia says several drones launched from Iraq struck its East-West oil pipeline near Riyadh and Medina, causing injuries and material damage.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said the pipeline was temporarily shut as a precaution. The number of injuries, extent of the damage and duration of the shutdown were not specified.
Saudi Arabia said it would withhold retaliation at Iraq’s request, while reserving the right to take measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical facilities.
Iraq condemned the attack and said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had ordered an investigation into the incident and those responsible. Baghdad also said Iraqi territory and airspace would not be used as a launching pad for attacks against other countries.
The East-West pipeline carries Saudi oil to the Red Sea coast and can provide an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz. Copernicus Sentinel satellite images seen by AFP showed smoke near Medina along the pipeline route, but the supplied material does not independently confirm the drones’ origin, responsibility or the cause of the smoke, Al Jazeera Global News reported.
