Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline after drone attack
Saudi Arabia temporarily closed its East-West pipeline after a drone attack, as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea intensified pressure on oil supplies.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its East-West pipeline after an aerial attack on the vital oil conduit, amid a widening war in the Middle East.
The Saudi energy ministry said the pipeline was closed as a precaution after it was hit on Thursday morning in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
Pipeline attack and supply impact
The 1,200-kilometre pipeline crosses the Arabian Peninsula and has helped Saudi Arabia bypass congestion in the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has slowed sharply during the war between the United States and Iran.
The line had transported between 4 million and 5 million barrels per day in recent months, equivalent to 4% to 5% of global supply, according to ship-tracking companies and analysts.
Saudi Arabia and Baghdad said the drone attack had originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack.
Satellite images showed black smoke rising from an area of the pipeline south of Medina. The Saudi foreign ministry said the attack caused injuries and damage that was being assessed, without providing details on the impact on exports.
Red Sea developments
The pipeline attack came as Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen tightened their grip in the Red Sea, adding to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and pushing global oil prices above $100 per barrel.
Four Yemeni government sources told Reuters that the Houthis seized the strategic island of Perim on Friday at the mouth of the Red Sea in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The reported attacks on the pipeline and Perim island could mark an escalation as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled.
Request for military support
Saudi Arabia has asked Washington for military assistance against the Houthis, sources said.
Higher fuel prices during the war have already imposed a political cost on U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of November congressional elections.
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