Iraqi, Saudi foreign ministers discuss regional developments after drone strikes on pipeline

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed regional developments and continued coordination between their countries during a phone call Friday evening.

The ministers emphasized "the depth of the fraternal relations" between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and exchanged views on the latest regional developments and issues of common concern, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Both ministers stressed the importance of "maintaining communication, coordination and consultations between Baghdad and Riyadh in a way that supports regional security and stability and strengthens bilateral cooperation," the ministry said.

The call followed drone attacks that targeted Saudi Arabia from a site in Maysan province in southeastern Iraq.

The media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on the US social media company X that he ordered the formation of an investigative council concerning the Maysan Operations Command and the dismissal of its commander.

The decision came after it was established that the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched "from one of the sites inside the province," the office said.

Saudi Arabia said Friday that its East-West oil pipeline had been shut down as a precaution after it was targeted in several strikes in the Riyadh and Medina regions, resulting in injuries.

The Saudi Press Agency cited an official source at the Energy Ministry as saying the pipeline was targeted several times Thursday morning.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that the attack was carried out using several drones launched from Iraq, causing injuries and material damage.

Saudi authorities have not disclosed the extent of the damage to the pipeline or its pumping stations, or how long the precautionary shutdown is expected to last.

The East-West pipeline, also known as Petroline, stretches approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from Abqaiq in eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. It can transport around 7 million barrels of crude oil per day and provides Saudi Arabia with a strategic overland route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.