The Saudi Ministry of Energy said the pipeline was closed as a precautionary measure after the attacks on Thursday.
September 12: Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its strategically vital East-West oil pipeline after multiple drones launched from Iraq struck the pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, causing injuries and damage and raising fresh fears over the security of global oil supplies.
The Saudi Ministry of Energy said the pipeline was closed as a precautionary measure after the attacks on Thursday. Emergency and specialist teams were immediately deployed to secure the infrastructure and assess the damage. Several people were injured and received medical treatment, although Saudi authorities have not provided a precise casualty figure.
The development is particularly significant because the 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline links Saudi oil fields in the east with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, providing Riyadh with a crucial alternative export route when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. Reuters reported that the pipeline has been carrying roughly 4–5 million barrels of crude per day, making its temporary closure a major concern for energy markets.
A new pressure point for global oil
The attacks come as the wider Middle East conflict continues to threaten major energy and shipping corridors. Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already been severely disrupted, increasing Saudi Arabia’s reliance on the East-West route to move crude toward international markets.
The pipeline’s closure therefore strikes at one of the region’s most important bypass routes around Hormuz, potentially tightening global oil supplies at a time when crude prices have already moved above the psychologically important $100-a-barrel mark.
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the attacks but has chosen not to retaliate for now, following a request from Iraq’s prime minister to give Baghdad time to investigate and prevent further attacks launched from Iraqi territory. Riyadh has nevertheless warned that it reserves the right to take measures necessary to protect its sovereignty, infrastructure and population.
Iraq has condemned the attack and launched an investigation. Iraqi authorities have also dismissed a military commander following findings concerning the origin of the latest drone attacks.
Energy security alarm grows
The pipeline attack adds another dangerous layer to an already volatile regional crisis. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces have simultaneously intensified pressure around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, another critical corridor for global energy and commercial shipping.
With Hormuz under severe pressure, Red Sea shipping threatened and now Saudi Arabia’s principal alternative oil route temporarily shut, the latest attack has transformed a regional security crisis into an increasingly serious challenge for the world’s energy markets.
The question now confronting global markets is stark: how many major oil routes can be disrupted before the shock reaches consumers worldwide?
Sources: Saudi Press Agency, Reuters, Associated Press.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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