Iraq Launches Drone Attack From Iraqi Territory, Saudi Arabia Shuts Critical Oil Pipeline: who 21 outlets blamed
Hormuz, routes, and conditions
The source said Tehran and Muscat reached a final agreement in late August after intensive technical and diplomatic talks, with the arrangement expected to be announced soon at a meeting attended by foreign ministers from regional states.
The report said the agreement sets out new routes for vessels entering and leaving the Persian Gulf, with the inbound route lying entirely within Iranian territorial waters and part of the outbound route also passing through Iranian waters.
Traffic along the routes would operate under Iranian arrangements, the source said, adding that the southern route Washington had pushed to reopen would be closed once the agreement was implemented.
In parallel, the New York Times reported that a drone attack launched from Iraqi territory led Saudi Arabia to shut down a critical oil pipeline on Friday as a precautionary measure.
Iraq closes crossings
Iraq closed three border crossings with Iran on Saturday after a drone attack on a Saudi Arabian pipeline that both Riyadh and Baghdad said was launched from Iraq, according to officials speaking to AFP.
The Times of Israel reported that the decision was “part of an intelligence effort to track down the perpetrators and prevent their escape” and to hinder smuggling of drones through the crossings.
The closed crossings were Shalamsheh in Basra province, al-Shib in Missan, and al-Mandali in the central province of Diyala, while other border crossings with Iran were still open.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the military commander in Missan province after authorities determined that the drones had been launched from there, and the government security media cell said it had started administrative and security reorganisation operations at several border crossings.
The BBC said Saudi Arabia shut the pipeline as a precaution after the attack was launched from Iraq, and it quoted Saudi foreign ministry language that the attack resulted in some injuries and damage that was still being assessed. B
Pipeline shock and regional stakes
The BBC reported that the 1,200km (745 mile) pipeline helped Saudi Arabia bypass the Strait of Hormuz, and it said the kingdom chose not to retaliate at this stage following a call from Iraq’s prime minister.B
In Dublin, the Guardian said Donald Trump told reporters, “I think they are, probably they are,” when asked whether he believed Tehran was responsible for the aerial attack.
Pakistan condemned the drone attacks on the East-West Pipeline in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Madinah regions and said the attacks posed “a serious threat to regional peace, security and stability,” according to the Express Tribune.
As the Iran war stretches into its seventh month, the BBC warned that the incident came amid a major advance by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, putting more pressure on global oil shipping routes.