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Gulf Bloc Denounces Drone Assault on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline
(MENAFN) The Gulf Cooperation Council issued a forceful condemnation Friday of a drone assault on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, an attack Riyadh says was launched from Iraqi territory and that left people injured and infrastructure damaged in the Riyadh and Madinah regions.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi did not mince words, calling the strike "a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its territorial integrity, and its vital installations." He went further, branding it "a flagrant violation of the principles of international law."
Albudaiwi pressed Baghdad to step up efforts and adopt "necessary, decisive measures" to stop its soil from being used to stage such assaults, while pledging the council's "complete and steadfast solidarity" with Saudi Arabia and "full support for all measures and actions the Kingdom takes to protect its security, stability, territorial integrity, facilities, citizens, and residents."
No retaliation "at this stage"
Saudi Arabia confirmed Friday it had shut down the East-West Pipeline as a safety precaution after multiple drones hit the facility Thursday morning. The Saudi Energy Ministry said several people were hurt and treated for injuries, and that emergency crews and technical teams had been sent to secure the site and evaluate the damage.
According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the drones were launched from Iraq. Riyadh said it would hold off on any response "at this stage" after Iraq's prime minister requested time for Baghdad to act against further launches from its territory. Saudi officials said they backed Baghdad's efforts but reserved the right to take whatever steps necessary to defend their sovereignty, security, and infrastructure.
Iraq denounced the strikes, insisting its land and airspace "will not be a launching point for attacks against any country." Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of Iraq's armed forces, ordered a formal investigation and instructed authorities to pursue legal action against anyone found responsible.
A relationship under strain
Friction between the two nations had already been building since July, when Saudi forces intercepted a wave of drones aimed at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh region.
Riyadh pointed to Iranian-backed militias and pushed Baghdad to keep its territory from being used against the kingdom, prompting Iraq to stand up a joint security committee to guard against future cross-border attacks.
Matters escalated further on July 29, when American and Saudi forces struck sites linked to the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces inside Iraq — a raid the PMF says killed 20 of its members and wounded 32 more. Saudi officials described the strike as a act of self-defense in response to earlier attacks on its petroleum sites.
The East-West Pipeline has taken on added strategic weight for Saudi Arabia, offering a Red Sea export route for crude oil at a time when traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by the US military campaign against Iran.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi did not mince words, calling the strike "a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its territorial integrity, and its vital installations." He went further, branding it "a flagrant violation of the principles of international law."
Albudaiwi pressed Baghdad to step up efforts and adopt "necessary, decisive measures" to stop its soil from being used to stage such assaults, while pledging the council's "complete and steadfast solidarity" with Saudi Arabia and "full support for all measures and actions the Kingdom takes to protect its security, stability, territorial integrity, facilities, citizens, and residents."
No retaliation "at this stage"
Saudi Arabia confirmed Friday it had shut down the East-West Pipeline as a safety precaution after multiple drones hit the facility Thursday morning. The Saudi Energy Ministry said several people were hurt and treated for injuries, and that emergency crews and technical teams had been sent to secure the site and evaluate the damage.
According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the drones were launched from Iraq. Riyadh said it would hold off on any response "at this stage" after Iraq's prime minister requested time for Baghdad to act against further launches from its territory. Saudi officials said they backed Baghdad's efforts but reserved the right to take whatever steps necessary to defend their sovereignty, security, and infrastructure.
Iraq denounced the strikes, insisting its land and airspace "will not be a launching point for attacks against any country." Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of Iraq's armed forces, ordered a formal investigation and instructed authorities to pursue legal action against anyone found responsible.
A relationship under strain
Friction between the two nations had already been building since July, when Saudi forces intercepted a wave of drones aimed at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh region.
Riyadh pointed to Iranian-backed militias and pushed Baghdad to keep its territory from being used against the kingdom, prompting Iraq to stand up a joint security committee to guard against future cross-border attacks.
Matters escalated further on July 29, when American and Saudi forces struck sites linked to the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces inside Iraq — a raid the PMF says killed 20 of its members and wounded 32 more. Saudi officials described the strike as a act of self-defense in response to earlier attacks on its petroleum sites.
The East-West Pipeline has taken on added strategic weight for Saudi Arabia, offering a Red Sea export route for crude oil at a time when traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by the US military campaign against Iran.
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