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

Iraq has temporarily sealed three land crossings with Iran and launched a probe after authorities discovered sites used to launch drones that struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline. The closures — at Shalamcheh in Basra, al-Shib in Maysan and Mandali in Diyala — were ordered amid concerns suspects might flee across the border into Iran. Officials also closed and searched the al-Tayyib area in Maysan after finding drone launch platforms there.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the military commander responsible for Maysan and directed an investigation into the province’s operations command following initial findings that the attack originated from Iraqi territory. Baghdad agreed to Iran’s request to participate in a joint investigation, according to a statement from Sabah al-Numan, the spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces. The statement gave no further details on the number or precise locations of the launchers.

Saudi Arabia suspended operations on the East-West pipeline after the Thursday attack, describing the halt as a precaution. Riyadh said the drones had been launched from Iraq, where Iran exercises significant influence over some armed groups. No group has formally claimed responsibility; the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of Iran-backed fighters, described the strike as an honour but said it did not claim it.

The suspension of the pipeline carries strategic and economic implications because it is Riyadh’s main alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, which remains constricted amid regional friction. U.S. President Donald Trump asserted Tehran was “probably” responsible for the pipeline attack, though he did not present evidence. The strikes coincide with advances by Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, which have taken control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and declared restrictions on Saudi shipping, further complicating regional security and energy export routes.