Washington, United States—U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that Iran was behind the drone attack—launched from Iraqi territory—that targeted Saudi Arabia’s strategic East-West oil pipeline. In remarks reported by U.S. media, Trump described the Saudi Crown Prince as a “good friend” and expressed confidence that “everything will work out fine.” Addressing the situation in Yemen, he noted that the Houthi group “does not want to fight us.” He also emphatically asserted that Tehran “will never possess a nuclear weapon” and added that the confrontation with it would end “very soon.”
US Control over the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s Regional Posture
In a related context concerning maritime and global energy security, the US President asserted that the United States has “full control” over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the movement of international oil tankers. Saudi authorities had announced on Friday that the “East-West” oil pipeline—spanning the Riyadh and Medina regions—had been targeted by multiple drones launched from Iraq. They noted that Riyadh “chose not to retaliate at this stage” in support of the Iraqi government’s efforts and to contain escalation.
Baghdad’s Investigations and Denials by Iraqi Armed Factions
Meanwhile, Baghdad responded swiftly to developments on the ground; Prime Minister Al-Abadi ordered an immediate investigation into the Maysan Operations Command after it was confirmed that the attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities had originated from the province’s borders. Government decisions resulted in the dismissal of the Maysan Operations Commander and the closure of two border crossings for security reasons. In turn, armed factions in Iraq hastened to deny any involvement in operations targeting Saudi energy facilities, stating that this was “an honor they do not claim.” At the same time, they expressed their full readiness to participate in any transparent government inquiry committee to uncover the circumstances surrounding the attack.
