Saudi Arabia has intercepted several drones launched from Iraq territory in recent weeks, despite repeated warnings to Baghdad and pledges from Iraqi leaders to prevent attacks on the kingdom from their territory, Saudi security sources told MBN on Thursday.
Riyadh has raised the issue with Baghdad on multiple occasions and is increasingly frustrated that they continue, one source said. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
MBN contacted the Iraqi government for comment but had received no response by the time of publication.
According to the Saudi source, drones launched from Iraq over the past 20 days attempted to strike strategic sites in the kingdom. The source did not identify the party responsible for the attacks.
The reported attempts to target Saudi Arabia from Iraq come as Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to attack Saudi oil facilities and civilian infrastructure. The attacks are unfolding alongside a Saudi-backed military operation in Yemen against the Houthis, whom Washington designates as a terrorist organization.
‘Iran-Affiliated’ Militias Blamed
On Wednesday, informed Iraqi government sources told MBN that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi had issued an order to close the offices of the Iran-backed Houthi group in Iraq, just days after visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In July, Reuters reported that regional officials said the Houthis had launched attacks on Saudi Arabia from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions.
On May 17, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry announced that it had intercepted three drones that entered its airspace from Iraq. At the time, the ministry reserved the kingdom’s right to respond at a time and place of its choosing.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said that day that Iraqi air defense systems had recorded no information about the incident and called on Riyadh to share relevant details.
In April, Riyadh summoned Iraq’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia to protest continued attacks and threats involving drones.
On July 27, the Saudi Defense Ministry again announced that it had intercepted drones attempting to target oil facilities in the Eastern Province and the Riyadh region. It attributed the attacks to “Iran-affiliated terrorist militias” that had launched the drones from Iraq. The following day, al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate the allegations contained in the statement.
In response to the attacks, Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out joint airstrikes on July 29 against sites and headquarters belonging to Iran-aligned armed factions in seven Iraqi provinces. The strikes allegedly killed 20 people and wounded 32 others, according to the Associated Press, which quoted Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces.
Growing Frustration in Riyadh
In September, Saudi Arabia announced the precautionary suspension of operations on its East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack that Riyadh said had originated in Iraq.
The Iraqi government subsequently acknowledged that the attacks had been launched from its territory.
According to Iraqi sources, Saudi Arabia threatened to retaliate before issuing a statement saying the kingdom had “chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government” to “prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the kingdom and neighboring countries.”
The Iraqi government issued a statement expressing appreciation for “the kingdom’s position and its response to the efforts made by Iraq to contain the situation.”
Al-Zaidi ordered an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the “parties behind them,” as well as legal action against those involved.
The Iraqi prime minister also dismissed the commander of operations and the police chief in Maysan Province, which borders Iran, after it was established that the attacks had originated there. He also ordered the closure of the border with Iran in Maysan.
During their most recent meeting in Riyadh on Oct. 14, al-Zaidi again assured Mohammed bin Salman that Baghdad would not allow Iraqi territory to be used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia. He also condemned the attacks targeting the kingdom.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
