Saudi Pipeline Attack Tests Iraq's Ability to Control Armed Factions
Saudi Arabia's main oil pipeline was shut down after drones launched from southern Iraq struck it late last week, forcing Riyadh to take action. The attack has put additional pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to bring armed factions under state control.
The strike occurred at a time when the US-led coalition is set to depart Iraq by September 30, adding urgency to the debate over disarmament talks. The pipeline runs about 1,200 kilometers from the oil fields of the east to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, and it has become the kingdom's main route for moving crude.
Brent crude has traded above $100 since Yemen's Houthis seized Mokha and advanced toward islands near the Bab al-Mandab strait. An Iraqi investigation found that the attacks had been launched from Maysan province, prompting Al-Zaidi to remove the commander of the province's Operations Command and later its police chief.
The attack has exposed the gap between state control and conditions on the ground: Iraqi investigators say the drones were launched from Maysan, yet those responsible have not been publicly identified. A suspected launch platform has been found.