Iraq’s prime minister dismissed the commander of the Maysan Operations Command after investigations confirmed that recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia originated from a site in southeastern Maysan province, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office reported by Reuters early Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 (local dateline).

Anadolu Agency said Prime Minister and armed-forces commander-in-chief Ali Al-Zaidi also ordered an investigation into the command, which oversees security in Maysan, after it was confirmed that attacks on “the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” were launched Friday from a site in the province. Armed-forces spokesperson Sabah al-Numan announced the move via the Iraqi prime minister’s media office on X, Anadolu reported. Neither Reuters nor Anadolu named the dismissed commander.

The firing lands hours after Saudi Arabia publicly tied drones launched from Iraq to strikes on its East-West (Petroline) oil pipeline — the Hormuz-bypass corridor that has been moving roughly 4–5 million barrels a day of crude to the Red Sea while the Iran war keeps Gulf loadings constrained, Reuters reported Friday.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the kingdom would not retaliate for now after a request from Iraq’s prime minister, while reserving the right to take “all measures necessary” to protect sovereignty, security, and critical facilities, Reuters reported. Iraq’s government condemned the attacks. The ministry said the attack caused some injuries and damage still being assessed, without detailing export impact.

Saudi Arabia had already said Friday it temporarily shut the East-West line as a precaution after Thursday attacks in the Riyadh and Medina regions — a closure Insanity Developing covered earlier Friday as oil prices stayed on track to finish the week above $100 a barrel. Concentrating that much crude on one overland corridor turns every drone launch site in Iraq — and every Houthi move at Bab al-Mandab — into a price and security problem the public pays for when war closes the cheap routes.

Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the matter, separately reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Donald Trump at least twice Thursday to request U.S. military help against the Houthis. Washington told Riyadh it would not take direct military action for now but would help with intelligence sharing and targeting, those sources said. The White House did not address Reuters’ question on the calls; a senior administration official said the U.S. was in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s government.

Attribution for the pipeline drones remains incomplete in public. Saudi Arabia said only that the drones came from Iraq, home to Iranian-backed militias; it has not named a specific group. Firing a provincial commander and opening an investigation is Baghdad’s first concrete personnel move tied to the Saudi strikes — a reminder that “proxy” corridors still run through governments that claim they can police their own airspace.

Sources