Iran · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Iraq Approves Joint Iran Probe Into Drone Launch Platforms Near Iraq-Iran Border
Iraq approves Iran’s request for a joint probe into border drone launch platforms. Security forces found drone launchers near the Iraq-Iran border (al-Tib) after Saudi pipeline attack.
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Joint probe after pipeline attack
Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi approved an Iranian request for a joint investigation into drone launch platforms discovered near the Iraq-Iranian border strip, with Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, confirming the move in a statement carried by the Iraq News Agency (INA).
“agreed to an Iranian request for a joint investigation into the drone launch sites”
The decision came after Iraq’s government confirmed that the latest drone attack on neighboring Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was launched from Iraq’s Maysan province, and the probe was described as examining the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the platforms near the border area.
Rudaw reported that the investigation will focus on the area around the al-Sheeb border crossing in Maysan province, and that it was approved hours after the Iraqi government confirmed the attack’s origin in Maysan.
Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraq struck its East-West oil pipeline, causing casualties and damage, and Baghdad condemned the attack and announced an urgent investigation to identify those responsible.
In parallel, Iraq’s prime minister ordered the dismissal of the Maysan operations commander and established an investigative committee to examine the operations command, while no group took responsibility for the attacks, including the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which denied involvement.
Border closures and competing claims
As Iraq moved to investigate, multiple outlets described border restrictions with Iran, including Shafaq News saying Baghdad closed the Shalamcheh, Al-Sheeb and Mandali border crossings with Iran as an “economic penalty” against Tehran.
Rudaw reported that the al-Sheeb border crossing would be closed indefinitely, except for travelers and pilgrims stranded on either side of the border, and that the Shalamcheh crossing in Basra province has likewise been closed to travelers, pilgrims and commercial traffic.
Arab News, citing security sources, said Iraqi security forces found drone launchers near the border with Iran in the al-Tib remote region in the southern Maysan province, and it added that authorities ordered the closing of three border crossings with Iran as part of an intelligence effort to track down the perpetrators and prevent their escape.
Haibat Al-Halbousi, the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, said the use of Iraq’s territory or airspace to threaten Saudi Arabia’s security was unacceptable and condemnable, and he reaffirmed “the principle that the state is the sole possessor of weapons.”
Saudi Arabia said it would not retaliate “at this stage,” agreeing to a request from Baghdad to allow time for Iraq to take measures to prevent a repeat of the attacks, while reserving the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical sites.
What’s at stake next
The joint probe is framed as a mechanism to determine how the discovered platforms were used after the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, with the Iraqi prime minister’s office stating the investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the platforms near the border area.
“meant to “show solidarity" with the Houthi rebels”
The National linked the drone attacks to Iran-backed militias in Iraq and said they were meant to “show solidarity" with the Houthi rebels, while it also described Saudi Arabia’s response as a temporary decision not to retaliate after a request from Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi.
Rudaw reported that the Iraqi state media said the al-Sheeb border crossing would be closed indefinitely, and it added that specialized security committees were deployed to investigate what Iraqi authorities described as several violations and establish a new operating mechanism.
In Iraq, the measures included dismissals in Maysan province, with The National saying Al Zaidi dismissed the military commander Maysan province from which the drones were fired and ordered the dismissal of the provincial police chief, while the prime minister’s military spokesman Sabah Al Numan said orders were issued for the transfer of the province’s security agency directors to the reserve command reserve and for a new investigation.
The National also said the move added pressure on Baghdad to rein in armed groups as it prepares for the full withdrawal of the US-led coalition on September 30, and it reported that Friday’s attack came after Saudi Arabia and US carried out strikes in late July on Popular Mobilisation Forces, leaving at least 20 fighters killed and dozens wounded.