Saudi Arabia says East-West pipeline hit by drones launched from Iraq

Iraq condemns the attack, dismisses a military commander who led operations in Maysan province.

Satellite image taken on September 11, 2026, shows a general view of an infrastructure site after it was damaged by fire southeast of Medina along the general route of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline [Handout/ Planet Labs PBC via AFP]

Saudi Arabia has expressed its “strongest condemnation” after its East-West oil pipeline was hit by drones launched from Iraq.

In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the pipeline was targeted in the Riyadh and Medina areas by “several drones originating from Iraq”, resulting in injuries and material damage.

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It added, however, that it would not retaliate for now, following a request from Baghdad, while reserving the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical facilities.

“At the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister to allow the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and neighbouring countries, the Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,” said the ministry in a statement posted on X.

Earlier, an official from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy also told the state news agency SPA that the pipeline had been temporarily shut.

“The pipeline was stopped as a precaution, and the attacks resulted in some injuries,” the official said.

Iraq ⁠welcomed ⁠Saudi Arabia’s decision to hold ⁠off on retaliation and said it “appreciates” Riyadh’s response to its efforts to contain the situation.

Iraq “condemns” the attack and affirms its “rejection of any aggression that threatens the Kingdom’s security and stability or harms the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two countries”, said the statement issued by Sabah al-Numan, the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces.

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said early on Saturday that a military commander who led operations in Maysan province was dismissed ⁠after investigations confirmed the latest drone attacks ‌targeting Saudi Arabia “had been launched from a location within” the southern province.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi also ordered the formation of an “investigative council” to probe the Maysan Operations Command, the office said .

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called the attack “a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its territorial integrity, and its vital installations”, as well as “a flagrant violation of the principles of international law”.

He said the GCC “categorically rejects all actions targeting the Kingdom’s security, stability, and national assets”.

Albudaiwi stressed the importance of Iraq “intensifying its efforts and taking the necessary, decisive measures to prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for such attacks”. He called on Baghdad to “work to halt them and deter their recurrence in order to safeguard regional security and stability”.

Albudaiwi reaffirmed the GCC’s “complete and steadfast solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and its “full support for all measures and actions the Kingdom takes to protect its security, stability, territorial integrity, facilities, citizens, and residents”.

Satellite images from Copernicus Sentinel data taken on Thursday, seen by the AFP news agency, showed black smoke billowing near Medina, along the East-West pipeline route that carries Saudi oil to its Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia has increasingly used the route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s ongoing closure of the strategic waterway.

But Yemen’s Houthis , who have targeted Saudi Arabia this week, seized control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast and captured three strategic islands on Friday, cementing their hold on the shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia.

伊拉克谴责此次袭击，并解除了领导迈桑省军事行动的一名指挥官的职务。

2026 年 9 月 11 日拍摄的卫星图像显示，沙特阿拉伯东西输油管道沿线麦地那东南部的某基础设施工地在火灾中受损后的总体情况。[图片由 Planet Labs PBC 通过法新社提供]

沙特阿拉伯对其东西向输油管道遭伊拉克无人机袭击表示“最强烈的谴责”。

外交部周五发表声明称，位于利雅得和麦地那地区的输油管道遭到“数架来自伊拉克的无人机”袭击，造成人员伤亡和财产损失。

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不过，声明补充说，应巴格达的要求，目前不会进行报复，但保留采取一切必要措施保护其主权、安全和关键设施的权利。

“应伊拉克总理的要求，为了让兄弟般的伊拉克政府有机会采取必要措施，防止从伊拉克领土对王国和邻国发动袭击，王国选择现阶段不予回应，并支持伊拉克政府的努力，”该部在X上发表的一份声明中表示。

此前，沙特阿拉伯能源部的一名官员也告诉沙特国家通讯社SPA，该管道已暂时关闭。

“管道停运是出于预防措施，袭击事件造成了一些人员受伤，”该官员说。

伊拉克对沙特阿拉伯决定暂缓报复表示欢迎，并表示“赞赏”利雅得对其遏制局势努力的回应。

伊拉克“谴责”此次袭击，并重申“拒绝任何威胁沙特王国安全与稳定或损害两国根深蒂固的兄弟情谊的侵略行为”，伊拉克武装部队总司令发言人萨巴赫·努曼发表声明称。

伊拉克总理办公室周六早些时候表示，一名领导迈桑省军事行动的指挥官已被解职，此前调查证实，针对沙特阿拉伯的最新无人机袭击“是从”该南部省份内的某个地点发起的。

据总理办公室称，总理阿里·扎伊迪还下令成立一个“调查委员会”，调查迈桑行动指挥部。

海湾合作委员会秘书长贾西姆·穆罕默德·阿尔布达维称此次袭击是“危险的升级，是对沙特阿拉伯王国安全、领土完整及其重要设施的不可接受的威胁”，也是“公然违反国际法原则”。

他表示，海湾合作委员会“断然拒绝一切针对沙特阿拉伯王国安全、稳定和国家资产的行动”。

阿布达维强调伊拉克必须“加大力度，采取必要果断措施，防止其领土被用作此类袭击的跳板”。他呼吁巴格达“努力制止此类袭击，并防止其再次发生，以维护地区安全与稳定”。

阿尔布达维重申海湾合作委员会与沙特阿拉伯“完全坚定地团结一致”，并“全力支持沙特王国为保护其安全、稳定、领土完整、设施、公民和居民而采取的一切措施和行动”。

法新社看到的哥白尼哨兵卫星周四拍摄的卫星图像显示，在麦地那附近，沿着东西向输油管道（将沙特阿拉伯石油输送到红海沿岸）的路线，滚滚黑烟升腾而起。

由于伊朗持续关闭霍尔木兹海峡这一战略水道，沙特阿拉伯越来越多地利用这条路线绕过霍尔木兹海峡。

但本周袭击沙特阿拉伯的也门胡塞武装于周五控制了也门整个红海沿岸，并占领了三个战略岛屿，巩固了其对连接欧洲和亚洲的航运走廊的控制。