Baghdad, September 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Iraq’s Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Ali al-Zaidi, on Saturday dismissed the commander of the Maysan Operations Command after authorities confirmed that drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched from a site in Maysan province in southern Iraq.
Zaidi also ordered an investigation into the Maysan Operations Command and directed the formation of a special investigative council, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Iraqi commander-in-chief, said in a statement.
The action followed the Iraqi government’s condemnation late Friday of the attacks on Saudi Arabia. Baghdad said it rejected “any aggression that threatens the Kingdom’s security and stability” and appreciated Riyadh’s response to its efforts to contain the situation, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“The state will not tolerate any activity that endangers Iraq or its relations with brotherly and friendly countries,” Al-Numan said.
Iraq also reiterated that its territory and airspace would “not be used as a launching point for attacks against any country”, stressing that its policy was based on respect for the sovereignty of states.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that several drones launched from Iraq had targeted its East-West Pipeline, causing injuries and damage. The ministry condemned the attacks and said Riyadh had refrained from responding at this stage at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the East-West Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the country’s eastern oilfields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest development comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran-aligned groups operating in the region. In July, US and Saudi Arabian forces carried out precision airstrikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq after more than 30 drone attacks targeted American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM said US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck logistics and weapons sites used by the groups, describing the operation as a response to aerial attacks carried out over the preceding 72 hours under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful,” CENTCOM said.
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