Arab condemnations of attacks targeting pipeline in Saudi Arabia

Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and Oman on Saturday condemned attacks targeting the East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, affirming their solidarity with Saudi Arabia and their support for its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks constituted a flagrant violation of international law and undermined regional security and stability, stressing Cairo’s support for Riyadh in confronting threats to its security. Oman’s Foreign Ministry, for its part, condemned the targeting of Saudi vital and civilian facilities and affirmed its support for the kingdom’s right to take the necessary measures to protect its territory and vital facilities. Saudi Arabia had announced on Friday that the pipeline had been targeted by several drones that it said came from Iraq. It added that it had opted not to respond at this stage while supporting the Iraqi government’s efforts. In Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaydi ordered an investigation into the Maysan Operations Command after it was established that the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched from the province. He also decided to dismiss the commander of Maysan Operations. Al-Zaydi said his government would not tolerate any activity that endangered Iraq or its relations with friendly countries, as Baghdad works to contain the repercussions of Iraqi territory being used to launch attacks on the kingdom. The Iraqi government fully closed the Shalamcheh, Al-Sheeb and Mandali crossings with Iran. Maysan lies on Iran’s border in southeastern Iraq, and Iran-backed Shiite armed factions have been active there for some time. Since taking office in May, al-Zaydi had pledged to place weapons exclusively under state control and begun talks with a number of factions aimed at persuading them to hand over their weapons.