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Iraq’s prime minister’s office reported that Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi directed the formation of an investigative committee regarding the Maysan Operations Command. The office stated that Al-Zaidi ordered the dismissal of the operations commander from his position after confirmation that the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia were launched from one of the sites within the province. The decision was announced early on Saturday following the completion of the probe into the drone strikes.
A spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Sabah Al-Numan, delivered the details in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency. The spokesman indicated that the prime minister, acting as commander-in-chief, had called for an urgent investigation into the circumstances of the attacks and the parties behind them. Legal measures will be taken against anyone proven involved, the statement added.
Reuters reported that the drone attacks on September 10 struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline south of Medina in the Hejaz Region. A satellite image from the European Union Copernicus Sentinel-3 showed black smoke rising from the area the day after the incident. Saudi state media said the pipeline was temporarily shut down as a result of the strikes.
The Iraqi government condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed its rejection of any aggression that threatens the kingdom’s security or undermines bilateral relations, according to the Iraqi News Agency. Al-Numan stressed that the state will not tolerate any activity that endangers Iraq or its ties with brotherly and friendly countries. The government pledged to continue cooperation with neighbors to prevent recurrence of such incidents and to uphold principles of good neighborliness.
Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the attack on the Saudi pipeline in a statement carried by Breaking The News on the same day. The GCC Secretary-General Jassem Mohammed Albudaiwi also denounced the strike, the outlet reported separately. These reactions came as the Iraqi premier’s office moved to hold accountable those responsible for the launches from Maysan province.
The prime minister’s office emphasized that the investigative committee would identify all sides involved in the attacks. Al-Zaidi’s directives form part of immediate steps taken by Baghdad to address the security breach. The dismissal marks an initial measure to reinforce accountability within the military command structure overseeing the southern province.
