Iraq blames Maysan launch for Saudi pipeline strike, sacks commander

Iraq said the drone strike on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline was launched from Maysan and removed a local commander. The finding sharpened pressure on Iran as fresh crises unfolded from Yemen to the Gulf of Oman.Stock photo used for illustrationIraq has said attacks on Saudi Arabia's key East-West oil pipeline were launched from its territory, and the move was followed by action against a local commander. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said Iran was "probably" behind the attack that shut the pipeline.The developments came as tensions remained high across the Middle East. In Yemen, the number of displaced people is rising quickly as Iran-backed Houthi rebels advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb, a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Lebanon and Israel are due to hold fresh direct talks next month, while new concerns have also emerged over an oil spill in the Gulf of Oman, violence in the West Bank and Syria's fuel shortages.Iraq said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had ordered an investigation into the operations command in Maysan province, which borders Iran, and had dismissed its commander after authorities determined that the attacks on the Saudi pipeline were launched from the province. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said the assault was carried out by drones that came from Iraq and said the kingdom would not retaliate in order to give the Iraqi government "an opportunity to take the necessary measures". The East-West pipeline has been vital to Saudi oil exports since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the International Energy Agency, Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the end of the pipeline have more than doubled. Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis and Iraqi militias had recently coordinated attacks on Saudi oil facilities.Asked if he believed Iran was behind the pipeline attack, Trump told reporters: "Well, I think they are. Probably they are." He also said his administration had "had discussions" with the Houthis, though he did not say when. "The Houthis called us, and they don't want to fight with us," he said. "They would much prefer not having us involved, and they're letting most ships go through." The Houthis have said they are only targeting neighbouring Saudi Arabia's shipping. Asked about a recent call with Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Trump said: "He's a good friend of mine, and I can just say everything's going to work out fine and dandy. It's going to be very good." In Yemen, thousands of people have fled the Houthi advance. In Aden, which is held by Yemen's Saudi-backed internationally recognised government, residents have opened their homes to those escaping the fighting. In one such home, dozens of men were lying on a floor covered with thin mattresses and sheets. "We set out in hysterical panic on a motorcycle, not knowing where we were heading," said Alaa Ali Salem, who fled from al-Khawkha district. "The roads suddenly became extremely congested, and while I was driving, the motorcycle overturned. My wife, my children and I were all injured."The International Organisation for Migration said at least 76,000 people had fled since July as fighting escalated between the Houthis and government forces, up from 46,000 just days earlier. Some fear a return to the civil war that killed 1,50,000 people before a 2022 ceasefire. "I saw the soldiers as they were withdrawing. They told us we must escape," said a tearful Durrah Ali Hassan, who had taken shelter in a relative's house. She said she was worried about the toll of the chaos on her pregnant daughter, who had been bleeding and was now in a coma at a hospital. Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are scheduled to meet in Rome in October for US-brokered talks. A planned round this month was postponed without explanation. The US State Department said the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US would meet at its headquarters in Washington next week to discuss ongoing developments and the continued implementation of the framework agreement reached in June. Lebanon and Israel have already held seven rounds of talks in Washington and Rome in recent months in an effort to calm the latest fighting between Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group. Lebanon's president also made a rare visit on Saturday to a southern city close to where Israel captured a strategic hill.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to a UAE government statement. The meeting pointed to efforts to maintain engagement despite growing instability in the region. Iran has sharply criticised the security partnerships some Gulf states maintain with Western powers, while the UAE has backed efforts aimed at containing Iran's military influence.A large oil spill in the Gulf of Oman, believed to have come from a tanker struck by the US military, doubled in size between Wednesday and Thursday and is threatening two protected areas off Oman and Iran, Greenpeace Germany's Nina Noelle said. The tanker RIESCO was one of four attacked on Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman, while a fifth was destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz off Iran's Kharg island. Noelle said the visible area of pollution measured about 400 square kilometres on Thursday. Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press showed the spill stretching nearly 70 kilometres. The spill lies between the Musandam protected area on the Omani side, which includes one of the region's most important seabird breeding islands, and the Hara-e Roud-e Gaz Protected Area in Iran's Hormozgan province, which includes mangrove forests.In the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops opened fire at a group of Palestinians who did not appear to be posing a threat, wounding one man, according to video obtained by The Associated Press. The footage, shot by a witness, showed the man falling near the Palestinian village of Faqqua. At least 14 shots were fired, and the shooting continued as men rushed to move him to safety before tying a tourniquet around his leg. Mahmoud Shahin, a resident, said Palestinians had rushed to the area after reports that Israeli settlers had arrived with sheep. He said Israeli soldiers then came and began firing in the air and towards the Palestinians. Shahin said the wounded man was undergoing surgery in Jenin. Israel's military said the video was authentic, confirmed its forces had fired towards the Palestinians and said commanders would review the incident. Settler violence in the West Bank has surged under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ultranationalist government, and the international community largely considers Israeli settlements illegal.In Syria, Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir told journalists in Damascus on Saturday that the country was facing a crisis in oil derivatives because of the ongoing war in the region. He said this was worsening existing energy problems as Syria tries to rebuild its infrastructure after 14 years of civil war.Taken together, the latest developments span security, diplomacy, displacement, environmental damage and energy concerns across the Middle East, from the Saudi pipeline attack and Yemen's growing crisis to fresh Lebanon-Israel contacts, the Gulf of Oman's oil spill, West Bank violence and Syria's fuel shortage.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 13, 2026 03:44 IST