Iraq closes several border crossings with Iran, launches an investigation, and dismisses the Maysan operations commander as attacks on the Kingdom commence

Iraq announced the closure of several of its border crossings with Iran, at a time when the presidencies of the Republic, the government, and parliament condemned the attack on the East-West oil pipeline in the areas of Riyadh and Al-Madinah by drones originating from Iraq. Iraqi authorities confirmed yesterday that the attack was launched from a site within Maysan province in southern Iraq.

In a statement, the official spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Sabah Al-Nu’man, said that Prime Minister Ali Faisal Al-Zaidi “ordered the formation of an investigative council against the leadership of Maysan operations.”

Al-Nu’man added that Al-Zaidi “ordered the dismissal of the operations commander from his post, following the confirmation that the attacks targeting our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were launched from a site within the province.” Al-Zaidi also ordered the transfer of the province’s security agency directors to the command for investigation, noting that “these directives come in light of recent security breaches that occurred in the province.”

On his part, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat Al-Halboushi expressed his condemnation of the attacks targeting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia yesterday, reaffirming his rejection of the use of Iraqi territory or airspace to threaten the security of the Kingdom or any of its neighboring countries.

In a statement, Al-Halboushi called for adherence to the principle of restricting weapons to the state and its constitutional institutions under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, “which strengthens state sovereignty, preserves the country’s security and stability, and prevents Iraq from being drawn into regional conflicts.”

For his part, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid expressed his strong condemnation of the attacks targeting the Kingdom, reiterating his country’s rejection of the use of its land or airspace as a launching pad for attacks on neighboring countries.

The Iraqi president emphasized in a statement that all legal measures would be taken against anyone proven to be involved or responsible, ensuring that such attacks are not repeated. He noted that his country is keen on its relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all neighboring countries, and on consolidating security and stability and protecting the interests of the region’s peoples, away from any practices that could endanger these relations or harm Iraq’s security and stability.

For its part, the Kurdistan Regional Government announced its condemnation of the attacks targeting oil pipelines in the Kingdom, while affirming its support for the federal government’s measures to investigate these attacks.

In a statement conveyed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the regional government expressed its full solidarity with the Kingdom and its commitment to its security and stability. It added, “We also support the measures taken by the Iraqi federal government to investigate these attacks, identify those responsible, and hold them accountable.”

In the same context, the Iraqi Security Media Authority announced yesterday that security authorities “have closed a number of border crossings with Iran as part of administrative and security arrangements there.”

The authority stated in a bulletin that “a series of necessary legal measures have been taken, and intelligence work, investigation, and scrutiny have been intensified to ascertain the circumstances of the breaches and violations that occurred at these crossings and to implement appropriate solutions and remedies.”

The authority did not specify the number of closed crossings but indicated that the Zurbatiyah and Al-Mandariyah crossings remain open to passenger traffic.

Earlier, Iraqi media reported yesterday morning that the Shalamjah crossing in Basra province and the Shuaybah crossing in the neighboring Maysan province had been completely and permanently closed, with entry and exit of individuals and goods banned until further notice.

Iraqi security sources told Agence France-Presse yesterday that Iraqi authorities had discovered drone launch platforms near the border with Iran, following a drone attack on a pipeline in Saudi Arabia that Riyadh and Baghdad said was launched from Iraqi territory.

A security source said, “Security forces discovered drone launch platforms near the Iraqi-Iranian border in the remote area of Al-Tayyib in southern Maysan province,” and a second security source confirmed these details.