Gulf shipping traffic down after Houthis say they attacked Saudi tanker

Saudi Arabia and Iraq's foreign ministers met in Jordan on Wednesday, aiming to mend ties following allegations of oil site attacks from Iraqi territory. The encounter occurred just over a week post Saudi Arabia's interception of drones launched from Iraq, thwarting potential strikes on Riyadh and Eastern Province oil facilities.

Both nations retaliated with "precision strikes" against pro-Iranian fighters in Iraq, resulting in at least 20 deaths and numerous injuries. Suspicions arose regarding Iraqi militants collaborating with Yemen's Houthis, who have intensified attacks on Saudi-linked shipping. Iraq claimed "innocent Iraqis" were casualties of US and Saudi assaults, yet pledged to probe the drone incidents following Saudi Arabia's demand for preventive measures to thwart aggression from its soil.

During the Jordan meeting, the ministers reiterated the "depth of the fraternal relations" between the two countries and deliberated on enhancing Iraq's connections with Arab neighbors while safeguarding Iraq's territory from being utilized for aggressive actions. Forensic insights and Iraqi officials cautioned that this diplomatic exchange could jeopardize Iraq's prolonged endeavors to bolster relations with Gulf states.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry announced during the talks that Prince Faisal and Fuad Hussein discussed deepening bilateral relations, including an Iraqi security delegation's potential visit to Saudi Arabia, and reviewed the Iraqi government's strategy to centralize weapons under state control. Notably, such Saudi-Iraqi meetings were historically scarce, with the most recent occurring in 2017 when Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir visited Baghdad, marking the inaugural such visit since 2003.