Iraqi militia involved in attack on Saudi Aramco

Ahmed Sultan

An attack on Saudi Aramco’s oil facilities may have been carried out from Iraq, not Yemen as originally suspected, increasing the spotlight on Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and threats to Saudi Arabia, the Middle East Forum said.

A Wall Street Journal report on Friday reported that “US officials have concluded that drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry in May were launched from Iraq.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Iraq in the wake of US National Security Advisor John Bolton warning about Iran’s threats.  One week after Pompeo’s visit, Shiite militias targeted Aramco’s oil facilities and US forces and facilities in Camp Taji, Mosul and Basra. Mortars were fired at Balad airbase in Iraq.

US officials familiar with the intelligence say the attacks “originated in southern Iraq.” That would “implicate Iran-backed militias” there. This could include any number of militias, such as Kata’ib Hezbollah or Asaib Ahl al-Haq or Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, or smaller groups.

The conclusion that the drone operated from Iraq will lead to more questions about tensions in Iraq between Iran and the US and US allies.

Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi ordered to incorporate the he Popular Mobilization Forces into the military and place them under the army’s command.

Firas Elias, an Iraqi professor of political science, considered the decision to be an attempt to woo a Security Council delegation, which is due to visit Iraq in the coming few days.

“The message from the decision is that the Popular Mobilization Forces are affiliated with the Iraq army and not run by any foreign party,” Elias said.