On July 27 (local time), according to Xinhua, Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi directed security agencies to urgently investigate allegations that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were launched from Iraqi territory towards Saudi Arabia.
According to a statement from the Iraqi army, the directive was issued after Saudi Arabia announced that its air defense forces had intercepted many UAVs believed to have departed from Iraq and flew towards the kingdom's oil facilities.
Mr. Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, said the government is collecting and reviewing all relevant evidence to verify the origin of the incident.
If any individuals or organizations are found to be involved, the government will handle them according to the provisions of law," Mr. al-Numan emphasized.
Iraqi officials also affirmed that Baghdad continues to pursue a friendly neighborly policy and does not accept the use of its territory as a starting point or route for attacks targeting neighboring countries or friendly countries.
Iraq reaffirms its constitutional commitment to preventing any acts of using its territory to carry out attacks against brotherly or partner countries," the statement stated.
On the Saudi Arabian side, officials said that air defense systems had shot down many UAVs before they approached targets that were oil facilities.
The incident took place in the context of the Middle East security situation continuing to be tense after airstrikes back and forth between the US and Iran in recent times. At the same time, the Red Sea region has also emerged as a new hotspot with military activities related to the Houthi forces in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, increasing concerns about the risk of widespread conflict in the region.
To date, no organization or force has claimed responsibility for the UAV launch that Saudi Arabia accused. The Iraqi government has also not announced the initial investigation results, but affirmed that it will continue to coordinate with security agencies to clarify the incident and strictly handle any violations found.
