US-Iran war news LIVE: Drones launched from Iraq hit oil pipeline, says Saudi Arabia as tensions in Middle East soar
US-Iran war news LIVE: As tensions in the Middle East soar, Saudi Arabia on Friday (local time) said drones from Iraq hit the East-West pipeline, leading to its closure. Riyadh has used this pipeline since the start of the war in the Middle East to bypass the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia reported on Friday that drones launched from Iraq struck an East-West oil pipeline, causing it to shut down. The pipeline connects Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, serving as a way for Saudi Arabia to avoid Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi government condemned the attack, stating that several drones from Iraq caused injuries and damage in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
The foreign ministry explained that, at the Iraqi prime minister's request, Riyadh has chosen not to respond at this time and is supporting the Iraqi government's efforts to prevent attacks against the kingdom and neighboring countries from Iraq. Meanwhile, talks between Israel and Lebanon, originally scheduled for next week in Rome, have been postponed and will now take place in October due to Jewish holidays, a Paris conference, and UN General Assembly preparations.
Additionally, Michael Duffey, the Pentagon's top weapons buyer, said Congress must act on the US administration's $1.5 trillion funding request to replenish stockpiles of crucial air defense interceptors and deep-strike weapons heavily used in the Iran war.
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