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Akbar Novruz

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Iraq has dismissed senior security officials in the southern province of Maysan following a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, increasing pressure on Baghdad to curb Iran-backed militias operating from its territory.

Saudi Arabia announced on September 11 that it had temporarily shut the pipeline after multiple drone attacks the previous day in Riyadh and Medina provinces. The East-West pipeline can transport up to 5 million barrels of crude a day from Saudi Arabia's eastern oil fields to Yanbu on the Red Sea, providing the kingdom with a crucial alternative to exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks pushed Brent crude to around $110 a barrel before prices fell to about $105 later on September 11. The benchmark subsequently settled above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy described the pipeline shutdown as a precautionary measure. Satellite imagery, however, showed fires at pumping stations along the route.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attacks were carried out by "several drones launched from Iraq", causing injuries and damage. Riyadh said it had decided not to retaliate after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi requested time for his government to take measures against attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

"The Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government," the Saudi ministry said.

Zaidi condemned the attack and ordered an investigation into security failures in Maysan province, which borders Iran. He dismissed the commander of the Maysan Operations Command, which oversees military security in the province, and later ordered the dismissal of the provincial police chief and the transfer of other security officials pending the investigation.

"His Excellency's directives come in light of the recent security breaches that occurred in the province," Sabah al Numan, spokesman for the commander in chief of Iraq's armed forces, said on September 12.

The incident comes amid growing tensions between Baghdad and Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq.

In late July, Iraqi militias launched drone attacks against Saudi energy facilities, prompting Saudi and US forces to carry out airstrikes against militia positions in Iraq on July 28. The strikes reportedly killed a Houthi commander as well as Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers.

The July attacks came shortly after Yemen's Houthi movement announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20. The Houthis have since carried out further attacks against Saudi energy infrastructure in the country's south and along its western coast.

Iraqi militias and the Houthis have also reportedly deepened operational cooperation. The Houthis were reported to have assisted Iraqi militias in planning and carrying out the July attacks on Saudi targets.

The latest incident comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Zaidi's government. The Iraqi prime minister has given Iran-backed armed groups until September 30 to disarm, but several powerful militias have rejected the demand or imposed conditions that could make disarmament difficult.

The Saudi pipeline attack therefore presents Baghdad with a difficult test. Riyadh has so far refrained from responding militarily, giving the Iraqi government an opportunity to demonstrate that it can prevent attacks on Saudi territory from being launched from Iraq.

At the same time, the incident underscores the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia's alternative oil-export routes. With the East-West pipeline designed to reduce the kingdom's dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, attacks against the route could have implications well beyond Saudi Arabia, particularly if disruptions to Gulf energy infrastructure become more frequent.