Iran-backed Iraqi militias deny responsibility for Saudi pipeline attack

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have denied responsibility for a drone attack that forced Saudi Arabia to shut down a major oil pipeline, as Baghdad investigates an attack it says came from Iraqi territory.

An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias denied attacking the East-West pipeline but praised Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels for their “ongoing battlefield victories against Saudi forces.” The group also said it would work with an investigation by the Iraqi government.

The denial followed Saudi Arabia’s statement that several drones launched from Iraq attacked the pipeline, inflicting injuries and damage. Riyadh shut the 1,200-kilometre pipeline as a precaution, but said it would not retaliate immediately, giving Baghdad “an opportunity to take the necessary measures.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation and dismissed the commander of military operations in Maysan province on the border with Iran.

Baghdad confirmed the attack was launched from Iraqi territory but the militias’ denial only added to confusion over who was behind the attack. The East-West pipeline is of strategic importance as it enables Saudi Arabia to send crude to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by the Iran-US war.

The attack comes amid rising regional tensions and coordination between Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen.