Baghdad: Iraqi authorities on Sunday announced a phased reopening of three border crossings with Iran that were closed following a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline.
The crossings were shut after Iraqi authorities determined that drones used in Friday night’s attack had been launched from Missan province near the Iranian border.
Baghdad subsequently dismissed the military commander responsible for the province and closed three crossings, saying the move was necessary to reorganise border operations and strengthen intelligence efforts to prevent further security violations.
Two Iraqi security sources told AFP on Saturday that drone launchers had been discovered near the al-Shib border crossing in Missan.
Iraq’s security media cell said on Sunday that “after reviewing operations at the border crossings,” authorities had decided to reopen them gradually for passenger and commercial traffic between Sunday and Thursday.
The three crossings are Shalamsheh in Basra province, al-Shib in Missan and al-Mandali in Diyala.
Shalamsheh and al-Shib reopened to passenger traffic on Sunday, although commercial trade through the two crossings remained suspended, according to the government.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Saudi pipeline. An alliance of Iran-backed Iraqi armed factions has denied carrying out the strike, although Saudi Arabia has previously accused Iraqi groups of targeting its oil infrastructure.
In July, the United States and Saudi Arabia said they had carried out strikes against Iran-backed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities.
Pro-Iran armed groups have backed Tehran during the ongoing Middle East conflict and have claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks on US bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region.