Iraq PM Assures Saudi Arabia Its Territory Will Not Be Used for Attacks
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has assured Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Iraq will not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Saudi Arabia or other regional countries, following a drone strike on the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline in September that Baghdad confirmed originated in Iraq.
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In a Nutshell
- Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi assured Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on October 14 that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia or other regional countries.
- The assurance came during al-Zaidi’s first visit to Saudi Arabia since taking office in May 2026.
- Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline was struck by drones in September, forcing a temporary shutdown of the export route that the kingdom has relied on to bypass Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline has since resumed operations.
- Saudi Arabia said the attack originated in Iraq, and Baghdad’s investigation reached the same conclusion. No group has claimed responsibility.
- The pipeline strike came as the Houthis seized territory around Yemen’s Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening another major shipping route used to transport Saudi oil to international markets.
Context
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted a major global route for oil exports from the Gulf.Saudi Arabia has responded by increasing shipments through its East-West pipeline, which carries crude oil to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing exports to bypass Hormuz.
While Saudi Arabia has worked around the Hormuz blockade by redirecting oil through the Red Sea, the Houthis have threatened that route too. In September, the Iran-aligned group seized Perim Island and the coastal town of Dhubab in Yemen, strengthening its position around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The group has also declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and attacked its vessels. The pipeline strike occurred during the same period, leaving Saudi Arabia facing threats to both its oil infrastructure and the shipping routes needed to export its crude.
Baghdad’s investigation found that the September drone attack on the pipeline originated in Iraqi territory. Although no group has claimed responsibility, Iraq is home to several Iran-backed armed factions. Al-Zaidi’s assurance comes as Saudi Arabia has now faced attacks on multiple fronts, from the September drone strike on its oil pipeline to the Houthis’ October 10 attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which killed 12 people and injured 309.
Why It Matters
The pipeline and Bab al-Mandeb attacks have exposed how the war is affecting Saudi Arabia’s ability to keep oil exports moving even when it finds alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. The East-West pipeline can carry up to seven million barrels per day, but bypassing Hormuz is of limited use if the route to international markets through the Red Sea is also threatened. With the Houthis threatening shipping around Bab al-Mandeb and Saudi oil infrastructure struck by drones launched from Iraq, the kingdom faces pressure on several parts of its export network at once.
What We Think
Al-Zaidi’s response that Iraqi territory will not be used for strikes potentially shows some form of damage control or diplomatic amends, given that Baghdad also found through its own investigation that the September strikes were launched from Iraq. He also strategically balanced the commitment by including other GCC countries in his affirmation that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used for attacks, signalling that Baghdad is seeking to reassure its Gulf neighbours more broadly amid the ongoing regional conflict.