ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it had intercepted several drones attempting to target oil facilities in the country's Eastern Province, noting that they were launched from Iraqi territory. The remarks came a day after Riyadh made similar claims on Monday, urging Baghdad to prevent its territory from being used as a "launchpad for aggression."
“Air defenses intercepted and destroyed a number of drones during the past hours, which attempted to target oil facilities in the Eastern Province,” Saudi defense ministry Spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki, said in a statement.
“These terrorist attempts originated once again from Iraqi territory and were carried out by terrorist militias affiliated with Iran,” Malki said, affirming “the kingdom's inherent right to defend itself and its capabilities, and its retention of the right to respond at the appropriate time and place.”
A day earlier, the Saudi defense ministry had on Monday issued a similarly worded statement, with the Saudi foreign ministry, on the same day, expressing Riyadh's "condemnation, in the strongest terms, of the reprehensible attacks it was subjected to" by drones launched by Iran-affiliated armed groups in Iraq.
Saudi’s Eastern Province accounts for the overwhelming share of Saudi Arabia’s petroleum wealth, producing roughly 70 to 80 percent of the kingdom’s daily oil output - exceeding seven million barrels per day. Additionally, nearly all of Saudi Arabia’s proven oil reserves - estimated at around 267 billion barrels - are concentrated in this province and its offshore waters.
The Eastern Province is also home to the global headquarters of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, and serves as a major operational hub for international energy firms such as SLB, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes.
During the six-week Iran war, the Saudi defense ministry had reported that its forces had intercepted a total of 188 ballistic missiles and 477 drones launched toward the Kingdom.
Since Iran and the US agreed to a preliminary Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8, the kingdom has seen a drop in attacks on oil-producing regions and industrial hubs.
Against the backdrop of the latest attacks, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Monday directed "the relevant security agencies to investigate what was stated in the Saudi defense ministry's statement regarding the targeting of the kingdom by drones launched from Iraqi territory," said Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the Iraqi premier.
"The Iraqi government affirms its constitutional and steadfast commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, and to not allowing Iraqi territory to be used as a corridor or launchpad for any aggression targeting brotherly or friendly nations," Numan said.
He added that the Baghdad government is investigating the incident cited by Riyadh and "will take legal action against anyone proven to be involved in such acts, in accordance with the findings of the investigations."
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