Saudi Arabia has said drones launched from Iraq hit the East–West pipeline and led to its closure, while Baghdad welcomed Riyadh's decision to hold off on retaliation.

The Saudi foreign ministry on Friday condemned "the targeting of the East–West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions by several drones coming from Iraq, which caused human injuries and damage".

"The pipeline was stopped as a precaution, and the attacks resulted in some injuries," an energy ministry official told the SPA news agency earlier.

"At the request of the Iraqi prime minister... (Riyadh) has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government ... to prevent attacks launched from Iraq against the Kingdom and neighbouring countries," the foreign ministry said.

But it stressed that Saudi Arabia "reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities," and its inhabitants.

Saudi says the attacks that occurred on Thursday morning had left several people wounded.

Iraq welcomed Saudi Arabia's decision to hold off on retaliation.

It condemned any attack threatening Saudi security and said its prime minister had ordered an investigation into those responsible, according to a statement from its armed forces.

Since the start of the US war with Iran, Riyadh has increased its use of this pipeline, which links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, in order to bypass the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.