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

PM Ali al-Zaidi dismisses commander, orders investigation into operations command in Maysan province, bordering Iran.

A handout satellite image from Copernicus Sentinel Data taken on September 10, 2016, shows black smoke billowing over the desert southeast of Medina along the general route of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline [Petroline via AFP]

Iraq has closed some border crossings with Iran while investigating drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline that it confirms were launched from its territory.

The Iraqi government temporarily closed three of its crossings into Iran after drone launch sites were discovered in the country, an Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

list 1 of 3 Trump: Iran probably ‘behind’ Saudi oil pipeline attack

list 2 of 3 Iran-backed Houthis seize strategic Mayun Island: Can they hold it?

list 3 of 3 Will the Houthi attacks activate the Mecca Pact?

Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera’s Jack Hewson listed the closed crossings as: Shalamcheh in Basra province, al-Shib in Maysan province, and Mandali in the province of Diyala. He said that Iraq had primarily ordered the closure of the crossings over fears that the perpetrators of attacks could flee to Iran.

Hewson also said the al-Tayyib border area of the southeastern province of Maysan had been shut after drone launchers were discovered there, and a search operation was under way.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meanwhile approved a request by Iran to conduct a joint investigation into the discovery of drone launch platforms near the border, according to a statement on Saturday by Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces.

The statement did not provide further details regarding where the drones were found or how many there were.

However, earlier, the prime minister’s office said the attack was launched from Maysan province, and al-Zaidi dismissed the military commander there.

No group claimed responsibility

The attack on the East-West oil pipeline took place on Thursday, with Saudi Arabia announcing it was temporarily suspending the route as a “precautionary measure” the following day.

On Friday, Riyadh said the drones were launched from Iraq, where Iran commands significant influence, including over armed groups. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed fighters, said in a statement that the attack was “an honour that we do not claim”.

However, Riyadh has previously accused Iran-linked groups in Iraq of targeting its oil infrastructure.

United States President Donald Trump, who is currently in Ireland on an unofficial visit, said Tehran was “probably” behind the attacks on the pipeline. Trump did not provide any evidence to support those allegations.

The temporary suspension of the pipeline is a significant blow to Saudi Arabia. The route was Riyadh’s only major alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which 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 its oil on a significant scale until the suspension is lifted or Hormuz is officially reopened.

A further decrease in oil exports from the Gulf could push wholesale prices higher, while potentially increasing Iran’s leverage as the US-Israeli war on the country nears the seven-month mark.

The attacks on the pipeline came amid a lightning offensive by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen , who have seized the country’s entire Red Sea coastline after defeating the armed forces of the internationally recognised government. Riyadh is the government’s main supporter, and the Houthis have since declared that ships belonging to Saudi Arabia will not be allowed to pass through the Red Sea.

以色列总理阿里·扎伊迪解除了一名指挥官的职务，并下令调查与伊朗接壤的迈桑省的作战指挥情况。

这张由哥白尼哨兵卫星数据于 2016 年 9 月 10 日拍摄的卫星图像显示，沙特阿拉伯东西输油管道沿线，麦地那东南部的沙漠上空浓烟滚滚。[Petroline via AFP]

伊拉克已关闭与伊朗的部分边境口岸，同时正在调查针对沙特阿拉伯东西输油管道的无人机袭击事件，伊拉克方面已确认袭击是从其境内发起的。

一位伊拉克安全部门消息人士周六告诉半岛电视台，在伊朗境内发现无人机发射场后，伊拉克政府暂时关闭了通往伊朗的三个过境点。

特朗普：伊朗可能是沙特输油管道袭击事件的幕后黑手（共3条，第1条）

伊朗支持的胡塞武装占领战略要地马云岛（共3个列表，此为第2个）：他们能守住它吗？

问题 3（共 3 题）：胡塞武装的进攻会激活《麦加条约》吗？

半岛电视台记者杰克·休森从巴格达报道，关闭的过境点包括：巴士拉省的沙拉姆切、迈桑省的希卜和迪亚拉省的曼达利。他表示，伊拉克下令关闭这些过境点主要是出于担心袭击者可能逃往伊朗。

休森还表示，在东南部迈桑省的泰伊布边境地区发现了无人机发射器后，该地区已被封锁，搜查行动正在进行中。

据伊拉克武装部队总司令发言人萨巴赫·努曼周六发表的声明称，伊拉克总理阿里·扎伊迪批准了伊朗提出的对在边境附近发现无人机发射平台进行联合调查的请求。

声明没有提供关于无人机发现地点或数量等更多细节。

然而，此前总理办公室表示，袭击是从迈桑省发起的，扎伊迪解除了该省军事指挥官的职务。

没有团体声称对此负责。

周四，东西向输油管道遭到袭击，沙特阿拉伯于次日宣布暂时中止该线路的输油，作为一项“预防措施”。

周五，利雅得方面表示，无人机是从伊拉克发射的，伊朗在伊拉克​​拥有相当​​大的影响力，包括对武装团体的控制。目前尚无任何组织声称对此次袭击负责。由伊朗支持的武装力量组成的联盟——伊拉克伊斯兰抵抗组织（IRI）在一份声明中表示，此次袭击“是我们的荣幸，我们并不声称对此负责”。

然而，利雅得此前曾指责伊拉克境内与伊朗有关联的组织以伊朗的石油基础设施为目标。

目前正在爱尔兰进行非正式访问的美国总统唐纳德·特朗普表示，德黑兰“很可能”是袭击输油管道的幕后黑手。特朗普并未提供任何证据来支持这些指控。

输油管道的暂时停运对沙特阿拉伯来说是一个重大打击。这条路线是利雅得除霍尔木兹海峡之外的唯一主要石油出口通道，而霍尔木兹海峡目前仍部分封闭，美国和伊朗正争夺这条战略水道的控制权。在输油管道停运解除或霍尔木兹海峡正式重新开放之前，利雅得没有其他可行的途径大规模出口石油。

海湾地区石油出口的进一步减少可能会推高批发价格，同时随着美以对伊朗的战争接近七个月，伊朗的筹码可能会增加。

在伊朗支持的也门胡塞武装发动闪电攻势之际，输油管道遭到袭击。胡塞武装击败了国际社会承认的也门政府军，占领了该国整个红海沿岸地区。沙特阿拉伯是也门政府的主要支持者，胡塞武装随后宣布，沙特阿拉伯的船只不得通过红海。