Baghdad, Sep 13 (AP) Iraq said attacks on a key Saudi oil pipeline were launched from its territory, as US President Donald Trump appeared to blame Iran.
Meanwhile, the number of displaced people in Yemen is rising quickly after a swift advance by Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatens a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb. And Lebanon and Israel will hold new direct talks next month.
Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East.
Iraq dismisses commander over Saudi pipeline attacks ———————————————————– Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the operations command in Maysan province, which borders Iran, and dismissed its commander after authorities determined that the attacks on the Saudi pipeline were
launched from the province, the government said.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry blamed the attacks on drones that came from Iraq and said the kingdom would not retaliate to give the Iraqi government “an opportunity to take the necessary measures.” The East-West pipeline has been vital to Saudi Arabia’s oil exports since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the International Energy Agency, Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline’s end have more than doubled.
Regional officials have told The AP that the Houthis and the Iraqi militias recently coordinated attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
Trump says Iran is ‘probably’ behind Saudi pipeline attack —————————————————————- Asked if he thought Iran was behind the attack that closed the East-West pipeline, Trump told reporters: “Well, I think they are. Probably they are.” Trump said his administration has “had discussions” with the Houthis, though he did not say when. “The Houthis called us, and they don’t want to fight with us,” he said. “They would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through.” The Houthis have said they are only targeting neighbouring Saudi Arabia’s shipping.
Asked about a recent call with Saudi’s crown prince, Trump said: “He’s a good friend of mine, and I can just say everything’s going to work out fine and dandy. It’s going to be very good.” People fleeing in Yemen describe a hysterical panic ——————————————————- Thousands of people have fled the Houthis’ advance. In Aden, held by Yemen’s Saudi-backed internationally recognised government, residents have opened their homes. In one, dozens of men lay on a floor carpeted with thin mattresses and sheets.
“We set out in hysterical panic on a motorcycle, not knowing where we were heading,” said Alaa Ali Salem, who fled from al-Khawkha district. “The roads suddenly became extremely congested, and while I was driving, the motorcycle overturned. My wife, my children and I were all injured.” The International Organisation for Migration said at least 76,000 people have fled since July as fighting escalates between the Houthis and government forces, up from 46,000 just days earlier. Some fear a return to the civil war that killed 1,50,000 before a 2022 ceasefire.
“I saw the soldiers as they were withdrawing. They told us we must escape,” said a tearful Durrah Ali Hassan, who took shelter in a relative’s house. She said she was worried about the toll of the chaos on her pregnant daughter, who had been bleeding and was now in a coma at a hospital.
Lebanon, Israel to hold new talks next month ————————————————- Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are scheduled to meet in Rome in October for US-brokered talks. A planned round this month was postponed without explanation.
The US State Department said Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US will meet at its headquarters in Washington next week to discuss ongoing developments and the continued implementation of the framework agreement reached in June.
Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of talks in Washington and Rome over the past months in search of a way to calm the latest fighting between Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group.
Lebanon’s president made a rare visit to a southern city Saturday, close to where Israel captured a strategic hill.
Iran’s president meets with Abu Dhabi crown prince ——————————————————– Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to a UAE government statement, signalling efforts to maintain engagement despite growing instability across the region.
Iran has sharply criticised the security partnerships some Gulf states maintain with Western powers, while the UAE has backed efforts aimed at containing Iran’s military influence.
Oil spill in Gulf of Oman doubled: environmental group ———————————————————– A large-scale oil spill, believed to be from a tanker struck by the US military, doubled in size between Wednesday and Thursday, endangering two protected areas off Oman and Iran, said Nina Noelle of Greenpeace Germany.
The tanker RIESCO was one of four attacked Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman. A fifth was destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s Kharg island.
The visible area of pollution measured about 400 square kilometres on Thursday, Noelle said. Satellite images reviewed by The AP showed the spill stretching almost 70 kilometres.
The spill is located between the Musandam protected area on the Omani side, which includes one of the region’s most important seabird breeding islands. On the Iranian side is the Hara-e Roud-e Gaz Protected Area in Hormozgan province that includes mangrove forests.
Video shows Israeli troops firing on Palestinians in West Bank ——————————————————————- Israeli troops opened fire at a group of Palestinians who did not appear to be posing a threat in the occupied West Bank, wounding one man, according to video obtained by The AP.
The video, shot by a witness, showed the man falling near the Palestinian village of Faqqua. At least 14 shots were fired and continued as men rushed to move the man to safety before tying a tourniquet around his leg.
Mahmoud Shahin, a resident, said the Palestinians had rushed to the area after receiving reports that Israeli settlers had arrived with sheep. He said Israeli soldiers then came and began firing in the air and toward the Palestinians.
He said the man was undergoing surgery in Jenin.
Israel’s military said the video was authentic and confirmed its forces had fired toward the Palestinians, wounding one man, and said commanders would review the incident.
Settler violence in the West Bank has surged under the ultranationalist government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The international community largely considers Israeli settlements to be illegal.
Syria says it’s facing a fuel crisis ———————————– Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir told journalists in Damascus Saturday that the country is facing a crisis in oil derivatives due to the ongoing war in the region, exacerbating existing energy issues in the country that is trying to rebuild its infrastructure after 14 years of civil war. (AP) RUK RUK
