Iraq denies involvement in Houthi drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities
Drone strikes set fire to a Saudi Aramco plant in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, early Saturday. The location was one of two Saudi Aramco facilities targeted, and Yemen’s Houthi rebel faction has claimed responsibility for the strikes.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi government has denied media reports that the recent Houthi drone attacks that targeted two oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on Saturday was launched from within Iraq.
“Iraq denies what was circulated on some media outlets and social media about the use of Iraqi territory to launch drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, and affirms commitment to the constitution, which prohibits the use of Iraq’s territory [by a foreign party] to target neighbor, brotherly and friendly countries,” the media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi said in a press statement.
“The Iraqi government will firmly deal with whoever seeks to violate the constitution,” the statement read.
The government urged all warring parties in the region to stop mutual attacks, which result in loss in lives and equipment, adding that it will form a committee to follow up the latest developments of the incident.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the drone attacks that hit two key oil installations, including an Aramco plant in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, damaging facilities that process the vast majority of the country’s crude output.
An Aramco statement said production of 5.7 million barrels of crude was suspended by the attack from “projectiles.” That represents more than half of the kingdom’s output and about 6 percent of global oil supply — a shortfall that could send oil prices sharply higher.