Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its critical East-West oil pipeline after the vital crude conduit came under aerial attack amid the widening conflict in the Middle East. Riyadh and Baghdad said the drone attack originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate, while Iraq responded by dismissing a military commander linked to operations in a province near the Iranian border.
The 745-mile pipeline is strategically important because it allows Saudi Arabia to transport crude to the Red Sea while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has been severely disrupted by the war between the United States and Iran. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said the pipeline was closed as a precaution after the attack, which occurred Thursday in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
The pipeline has transported an estimated 4 million to 5 million barrels of crude per day in recent months, equivalent to roughly 4% to 5% of global oil supply, according to analysts and ship-tracking companies. Saudi authorities said the attack caused injuries and damage that was still being assessed, while satellite imagery showed black smoke rising from an area of the pipeline south of Medina.
The incident comes as Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen expand their presence along the Red Sea, creating additional pressure on energy shipments through both sides of the Arabian Peninsula. The International Energy Agency said Saudi crude supplies had fallen to their lowest levels in more than three decades, partly because of attacks linked to the Houthis on vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Global oil prices have meanwhile climbed back above $100 a barrel.
Saudi Arabia has so far refrained from retaliating, following a request from Iraq’s prime minister, but Riyadh warned that it reserves the right to take measures necessary to protect its interests. Yemeni government forces have indicated plans to counter the Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast, while reports suggest Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has provided direct guidance to the group. Tehran denies directing the Houthis, while the group’s military spokesman said maritime navigation remains safe for most shipping, excluding Saudi vessels covered by an existing ban.
