Category: Azer News

Iraq has dismissed senior security officials in the southern province of Maysan following a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, increasing pressure on Baghdad to curb Iran-backed militias operating from its territory.

Saudi Arabia announced on September 11 that it had temporarily shut the pipeline after multiple drone attacks the previous day in Riyadh and Medina provinces. The East-West pipeline can transport up to 5 million barrels of crude a day from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil fields to Yanbu on the Red Sea, providing the kingdom with a crucial alternative to exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks pushed Brent crude to around $110 a barrel before prices fell to about $105 later on September 11. The benchmark subsequently settled above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy described the pipeline shutdown as a precautionary measure. Satellite imagery, however, showed fires at pumping stations along the route.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attacks were carried out by “several drones launched from Iraq”, causing injuries and damage. Riyadh said it had decided not to retaliate after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi requested time for his government to take measures against attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

“The Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,” the Saudi ministry said.

Zaidi condemned the attack and ordered an investigation into security failures in Maysan province, which borders Iran. He dismissed the commander of the Maysan Operations Command, which oversees military security in the province, and later ordered the dismissal of the provincial police chief and the transfer of other security officials pending the investigation.

“His Excellency’s directives come in light of the recent security breaches that occurred in the province,” Sabah al Numan, spokesman for the commander in chief of Iraq’s armed forces, said on September 12.

The incident comes amid growing tensions between Baghdad and Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq.

In late July, Iraqi militias launched drone attacks against Saudi energy facilities, prompting Saudi and US forces to carry out airstrikes against militia positions in Iraq on July 28. The strikes reportedly killed a Houthi commander as well as Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers.

The July attacks came shortly after Yemen’s Houthi movement announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20. The Houthis have since carried out further attacks against Saudi energy infrastructure in the country’s south and along its western coast.

Iraqi militias and the Houthis have also reportedly deepened operational cooperation. The Houthis were reported to have assisted Iraqi militias in planning and carrying out the July attacks on Saudi targets.

The latest incident comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Zaidi’s government. The Iraqi prime minister has given Iran-backed armed groups until September 30 to disarm, but several powerful militias have rejected the demand or imposed conditions that could make disarmament difficult.

The Saudi pipeline attack therefore presents Baghdad with a difficult test. Riyadh has so far refrained from responding militarily, giving the Iraqi government an opportunity to demonstrate that it can prevent attacks on Saudi territory from being launched from Iraq.

At the same time, the incident underscores the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s alternative oil-export routes. With the East-West pipeline designed to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, attacks against the route could have implications well beyond Saudi Arabia, particularly if disruptions to Gulf energy infrastructure become more frequent.

The finalists have been determined for the “Sea Breeze 2026” international beach polo tournament, held at “Havana Beach” within the “Sea Breeze Resort” complex.

The Equestrian Federation of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ARAF) reported that the “Elite” team and the Swiss club “St. Moritz” will face off in the decisive match. The Azerbaijani representative earned this spot by defeating the British club “Red Star” 9-7. Team captain Elchin Jamalli once again demonstrated his scoring prowess, netting six goals just as he had in the opening match. Meanwhile, “St. Moritz” advanced to the final by defeating the Russian team “Moscow” 6-4.

Tomorrow, “Moscow” will face the British club “Red Star” in the match for third place.

Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Bar Association Aydin Akhundov has visited Tashkent at the invitation of the Chamber of Advocates of Uzbekistan, according to the Azerbaijan Bar Association.

During his visit to the Uzbek capital, Akhundov took part in a roundtable entitled ‘Strengthening the Status of Bar Associations of Turkic States: The Experience of Turkic States’, attended by the heads of bar associations from across the Turkic world.

Representatives of the bar associations of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Trkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan participated in the meeting.

The roundtable focused on exchanging experience and views among bar associations of Turkic states, expanding existing cooperation and discussing joint initiatives aimed at further developing the legal profession.

Opening the event, Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of Uzbekistan Shukhrat Sadikov highlighted the importance of the meeting and stressed the need to strengthen the institutional status of the legal profession.

Speaking at the event, Akhundov underlined the importance of further developing cooperation among bar associations across the Turkic states.

He briefed participants on the progress achieved by the Azerbaijan Bar Association in recent years as part of reforms focused on digitalisation, institutional development and international cooperation.

Akhundov also identified joint training and professional development programmes, exchanges of knowledge and expertise in emerging areas of law, the use of electronic services, and the harmonisation of professional ethics and standards of conduct as key priorities for cooperation.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Akhundov announced that the 1st Baku International Lawyers’ Meeting would be held in December this year and invited participants to attend the international event.

The roundtable also featured an exchange of views on prospects for future cooperation among bar associations across the Turkic world, issues of mutual interest and potential joint initiatives, with a number of proposals put forward.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on September 23 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a media report.

Sharif has received an invitation to a reception dinner hosted by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for heads of state and government attending the UN General Assembly, The News reported on Sunday, citing high-level sources.

The dinner is scheduled to take place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue on the evening of September 23 and is expected to bring together a number of world leaders.

The gathering could provide Sharif with an opportunity to meet Trump as well as other heads of state and government attending the annual UN session.

The meeting would be the latest face-to-face encounter between the two leaders. Sharif and Trump previously met at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington in February. They also held talks at the White House in September 2025 and met at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt in October last year.

Sharif is due to arrive in New York a day before the reception and is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 25.

During his address, the Pakistani prime minister is expected to raise India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.

The 1960 treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing and use of water from the six rivers of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan.

India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. New Delhi said the suspension would remain in place until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ended its support for cross-border terrorism. Islamabad has denied involvement in the attack and rejected India’s allegations.

Pakistani officials say several countries, including traditional allies and others, have assured Islamabad of support for its position on the water treaty.

Sharif is also expected to highlight the trilateral security arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Trkiye signed in Makkah on August 7.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement establishes a collective defence framework under which an armed attack against one of the three countries is treated as an attack against all three.

The high-level General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 26, with an additional sitting on September 28 at UN headquarters in New York. Sharif is scheduled to be the fourth speaker during the second half of the session on September 25.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Miami during the G20 summit.

“Yes, of course. We have to come. We have to meet, talk and make a decision,” Zelensky said in an interview with Deutsche Welle conducted at a Canadian military base in North Bay.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the outcome of such a meeting would be the only thing that matters.

In addition, on September 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia could resume. However, no final decision has yet been made on holding another round of such talks.

There is currently no confirmed information on whether Vladimir Putin will attend the summit in the United States. The Russian president last personally attended a G20 summit seven years ago.

The G20 summit is scheduled to take place on December 14-15.

Two explosions were heard from the sea near the Iranian city of Qeshm.

According to IRNA, the blasts were heard in Qeshm shortly before the report was published.

Local authorities have not yet issued an official statement. There is no information so far about possible targets, damage or casualties.

It was noted that explosions have also been heard in recent days in coastal areas of southern Iran, including Sirik and Minab.

Qeshm is located along the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key oil shipping routes.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps visited the Istisu mineral water plant during their trip to the Kalbajar district.

A total of 150 diplomats representing 58 countries and nine international organizations were briefed on the activities of the Istisu mineral water plant.

They were informed that the Istisu spring is located in the Delidag area of Kalbajar, at an altitude of around 1,600 meters above sea level. The temperature of the water emerging from the spring exceeds 60 degrees Celsius. Istisu is considered a natural carbonated mineral water suitable for daily consumption and is distinguished by its rich and balanced mineral composition.

According to specialists, the water, formed under unique natural conditions, has properties that are beneficial to the human body. Foreign organizations specializing in balneology have also given high assessments to the water’s quality indicators.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on European countries to accept 20,000-30,000 residents of Gaza each, saying this would resolve the issue.

“If every European country accepts 20,000-30,000 residents of Gaza, this issue will be closed,” Smotrich said.

According to the Israeli minister, however, no country is currently willing to accept Palestinians in such large numbers.

Earlier, President Donald Trump said that the United States had helped prevent an escalation of the conflict in Gaza and claimed that the situation in the enclave had since calmed significantly.

“Very little is happening in Gaza right now. We helped bring peace to Gaza. If you look at Gaza, very good relations are now developing there. It’s really amazing. I think we’ve done a great job,” Trump added.

As previously reported, US President Donald Trump also said Washington was preparing a humanitarian aid plan for the population of the Gaza Strip.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that Russia remains open to holding trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine.

“We hope that, as discussed with the American negotiators, we will be able to meet again in the foreseeable future,” Peskov told Russian newspaper Izvestia. The Kremlin press secretary did not rule out a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit in China in November, provided both leaders attend the event.

Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that he expects to meet with Trump on September 20.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zeidi has ordered an investigation into the activities of the Maysan Operations Command and dismissed its commander after determining that recent attacks against Saudi Arabia were launched from Iraq’s Maysan province.

The Iraqi government said it rejects any attacks targeting Saudi Arabia or any actions that could damage relations between the two countries. Baghdad announced that an urgent investigation had been launched to identify those behind the attacks.

Ali Faleh al-Zeidi stressed that the government would not tolerate any activity that threatens Iraq’s security or its relations with friendly countries.

Meanwhile, Haibat Al-Halbousi, the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, said that the use of the country’s territory or airspace to threaten Saudi Arabia’s security was unacceptable and condemnable.

Iraq has also reportedly completely closed the Shalamcheh, Shib and Mandali border crossings along its border with Iran.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia reported that drone attacks targeting the East-West oil pipeline were launched from Iraqi territory. The pipeline transports oil produced at fields in eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The pipeline plays an important role in easing pressure on global oil supplies amid the ongoing US-Iran war.