Baghdad confirms attack on Saudi pipeline came from Iraq

Key Points:

• Iraq confirmed that Friday night's drone attacks on a key Saudi oil pipeline were launched from its territory, prompting Saudi Arabia to shut down the pipeline as a precautionary measure.
• Riyadh has chosen not to retaliate immediately, instead giving Baghdad an opportunity to take necessary actions, including dismissing the military commander and police chief in Maysan province, a region linked to Iran-backed Shiite militias.
• No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks; the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-backed Iraqi militia alliance, denied involvement, while US President Donald Trump suggested Iran was "probably" responsible.
• The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni militia controlling parts of Yemen and involved in a blockade against Saudi Arabia, have recently captured strategic locations on the Bab el-Mandeb strait but claim to keep maritime traffic safe except for Saudi vessels.
• Iraq faces pressure from the US to disband Iran-aligned Shiite militias by September 30, coinciding with the planned withdrawal of US-led coalition forces, but several militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, have rejected the disarmament plan without guarantees against future US influence.