Saudi Arabia says drones from Iraq struck East-West oil pipeline

Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned a series of drone attacks that struck its East-West oil pipeline after the aircraft were launched from Iraqi territory.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said several drones originating from Iraq targeted areas of the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage.

The kingdom said it had decided against retaliatory action for the time being following a request from the Iraqi government, while maintaining that it reserved the right to take whatever measures were necessary to protect its sovereignty, security and critical infrastructure.

Saudi authorities said the decision was intended to give Iraq an opportunity to investigate the attacks and prevent further strikes being launched from its territory.

An official from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy said the pipeline had been temporarily shut down as a precaution.

The official said the attacks had caused some injuries but did not provide further details about the extent of the damage or the number of people affected.

Iraq welcomed Saudi Arabia's decision to delay any military response and said it appreciated Riyadh's willingness to give Baghdad time to address the situation.

The Iraqi government condemned the attacks and said it rejected any aggression threatening Saudi Arabia's security and stability or damaging relations between the neighbouring countries.

Iraqi authorities later announced that a military commander responsible for operations in Maysan province had been dismissed after an investigation determined that the latest drone attacks against Saudi Arabia had been launched from a location inside the southern Iraqi province.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi also ordered the establishment of an investigative council to examine the activities of the Maysan Operations Command and determine how the attacks were able to take place.

The Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the strikes, describing them as a serious escalation and a threat to Saudi Arabia's security, territorial integrity and vital infrastructure.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called on Iraq to strengthen measures to ensure its territory could not be used as a launch point for attacks against Saudi Arabia or other countries in the region.

He said the GCC stood in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supported measures taken by the kingdom to protect its territory, infrastructure, citizens and residents.

Satellite imagery captured on Thursday showed smoke rising near Medina along the route of the East-West pipeline, which transports Saudi crude from oil-producing areas in the east to the Red Sea coast.

The pipeline has become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom seeks alternative export routes amid the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz linked to the conflict involving Iran.

The latest attacks come as regional tensions continue to escalate.

Yemen's Houthi movement, which has also targeted Saudi Arabia during the week, has claimed control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline and seized three strategically important islands.

The developments have added further pressure to a major international shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia and increased concerns over the security of energy infrastructure and maritime trade across the region.