Iraq Says It Seized Drone-Launching Platform Linked to Strike on Saudi East–West Oil Pipeline

Iraqi security forces say they have located and seized a drone-launching platform they believe was used in a recent attack on Saudi Arabia’s strategically important East–West oil pipeline.

In a statement carried by the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, said an intelligence and security task force tracked down and confiscated the launch equipment on Saturday. Forensic and technical teams are continuing to examine the rig to identify those responsible.

Maan added that Iraq’s commander-in-chief approved a request from Iran to join the investigation and review its findings, and that Baghdad is maintaining direct communication with Saudi authorities to share intelligence.

"Iraq adopts the principle of 'preventive sovereignty', which means not only preventing attacks on our territory, but also not allowing our land to be a launching pad against any other country, or for Iraq to be part of a proxy war," Maan said, as quoted by INA.

Saudi officials reported that multiple drones launched from inside Iraq struck sections of the East–West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions on Thursday, injuring several people. The pipeline—an artery that carries roughly 4–5% of the world’s oil supply and allows Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz—was temporarily shut down as a precaution.

Riyadh said it decided against immediate military retaliation after a request from Baghdad to hold off while investigations proceed. Saudi authorities traced the suspected launch area to Maysan province in southeastern Iraq, a border region near Iran where Iran-aligned militias have been active.

Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Rammal reported that Iraqi officials have pointed to the al-Tayeb border district in northeastern Maysan province—near the Sheeb crossing east of Amara and encompassing the Duwayrij River and Tayeb Island—as the likely launch area. Given the distances involved (roughly 1,100 km from Medina and about 800 km from Riyadh), analysts say the operation likely involved long-range, advanced drones rather than short-range tactical models.

Iraqi army spokesman Sabah al-Numan said security and intelligence agencies are conducting operations to arrest all those involved. In the aftermath of the strike, Iraqi authorities temporarily closed several border crossings with Iran—including Shalamcheh, Chazabeh and Mandali—for security inspections, later partially reopening them for humanitarian traffic.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has reshuffled military commanders in border regions, including Maysan province. Al Jazeera correspondent Samer al-Kubaisi reported that the Maysan operations commander and the provincial police chief were among those dismissed and that numerous security commanders in the province are under investigation.

Political analyst Salim Zakhour told Al Jazeera that Saudi Arabia has for now prioritized "political containment through the Iraqi government" rather than direct ground escalation. Zakhour warned that the strike—coupled with Houthi advances toward the Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane—places Riyadh in a defensively vulnerable position and will likely increase pressure to take "real, practical steps to deter these attempts."

Ongoing Developments

Investigations continue, with forensic teams examining the seized equipment and Iraqi authorities coordinating with regional actors. Arrest operations and internal security reviews in Maysan are ongoing as Baghdad seeks to demonstrate control and prevent its territory from being used to launch attacks on neighboring countries.