Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline after reported drone attacks from Iraq

Saudi authorities said on Friday drones launched from Iraq led to the temporary closure of a crucial oil export route used to bypass the lockdown of the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh has increased its use of the East-West pipeline, which links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, since the start of the Middle East war to bypass the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. The Saudi foreign ministry 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. Satellite images from Copernicus Sentinel Data taken on Thursday showed black smoke billowing near Madina, along the general route of the East-West pipeline that carries Saudi oil to its Red Sea coast. The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed the attack originated from Iraqi territory and said on X that the commander in charge of the southern province of Maysan had been dismissed. The Iraqi government said it condemned “the attacks targeting our brethren in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia originated from a location within the governorate”. ‘Dangerous escalation’ Riyadh said that, at the Iraqi prime minister’s request, it had 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”. Riyadh previously accused Iraqi militias of targeting its oil infrastructure. But it stressed that the kingdom “reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities,” and its people. Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar also condemned the attack on the Saudi pipeline, while the Gulf Cooperation Council denounced “a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom”. Oil prices have climbed past $100 a barrel this week, while average US diesel prices topped $6 for the first time on Friday — a potential headache for President Donald Trump ahead of midterm elections. Houthi rebels announced a maritime blockade in July against Saudi Arabia — which supports the Yemeni government — attacking its oil tankers in the Red Sea. By taking control of the Yemeni Red Sea coast and the islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, the Houthis consolidated their grip on the strategic passage linking Europe and Asia. Navigation through the Bab el-Mandab Strait was “safe” for all but Saudi Arabia following the latest advances, the Houthis said.

Saudi Arabia says it closed vital East-West Pipeline after attack Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 09/11/2026 - 20:50 The pipeline has allowed Saudi Arabia to keep exporting oil, and its closure could spike energy prices further A handout picture provided by energy giant Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's oil company, shows one of its engineers at Yanbu refinery in Medina province, on 16 January 2011 (Joe Lynch/Saudi Aramco/AFP) Off Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West Pipeline after it was attacked on Thursday, closing a key outlet for Middle Eastern oil that has helped keep energy prices in check amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. “An official source at the Ministry of Energy stated that the East–West Pipeline in Riyadh and Medina regions was subjected to multiple attacks on the morning of Thursday, September 10, 2026,” the official Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday. “The pipeline was shut down as a precautionary measure," the statement said, without adding when the pipeline would reopen.  Social media posts on Thursday showed large plumes of black smoke, claiming the pipeline was attacked in multiple locations.  The attack came as Yemen’s Houthis conducted a lightning offensive along the Red Sea, bringing their military all the way to the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint. The sweeping gains put the Houthis in a position to control shipping.  The Houthis previously used drones and missiles to fire on ships, but now can use standard artillery.  No military solution to conflict in Yemen, Eritrean foreign minister says Read More » Saudi Arabia did not say who was responsible for the attacks on the East-West Pipeline. CNN reported earlier on Thursday that the pipeline had been hit by drones originating from Iraq. Iraqi Shia militias and Yemen’s Houthis are aligned with Iran. They have coordinated in the past, with the Houthis believed to be sending advisors to Iraq and Iraqi militias sending technicians to the Houthis.  The East-West Pipeline was built by Saudi Arabia in the 1980s as a bypass to the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq war. It runs from the kingdom’s oil fields on the Gulf coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The pipeline allowed Saudi Arabia to export about a third of its pre-war oil volume, even as other Gulf producers, like Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, have been prevented from exporting crude. The UAE has continued exports using ships with their trackers turned off and a small pipeline terminating outside the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the East-West Pipeline underscores the vulnerability of any Strait of Hormuz bypass routes, with talks aimed at ending the war all but collapsed. The Financial Times reported that Gulf states are expected to meet with Iran next week to discuss how to resume shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in talks brokered by Oman. Oil prices have soared above $100 per barrel this week, responding to the Houthis' control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group says it is imposing an embargo on Saudi Arabian oil shipments, and diplomats say it is eyeing a toll in the waterway akin to what Iran has tried to establish in the Strait of Hormuz. Inside Saudi Arabia News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0