New Delhi, September 12: Saudi Arabia on Friday shut down a major pipeline a day after it was attacked by drones, while Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two officials said, as reported by The developments opened a new front in the Iran war.
The Houthis made their biggest territorial gains in years along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key shipping routes. The advance could support Iran’s strategy of pushing up global oil and gas prices to put pressure on the United States. Saudi Arabia said it had shut down the East-West pipeline after it came under attack the previous day, describing the move as a “precautionary measure”.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry blamed the attack on several drones launched from Iraq. In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom said it would not respond to the attack to give the Iraqi government “an opportunity to take the necessary measures”.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the military, ordered an investigation into the Maysan province operations command and dismissed its commander after authorities determined that attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched from a site in the province. Government spokesperson Sabah al-Numan announced the decision in a statement early Saturday.
Saudi Arabia and the United States bombed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq in July after accusing them of carrying out drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities claimed by the Houthis. Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis had helped Iraqi militias plan and carry out the attacks.
Also Read: EU Approves €6.1 Billion Defence Package For Ukraine
