Saudi Arabia shut down its vital East-West crude oil pipeline on Friday, September 11, following multiple drone attacks originating from Iraq that sparked fires and injuries in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The shutdown deals a blow to a key export route designed to shift crude oil exports away from the Persian Gulf as the U.S. and Iran battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional conflict.
Drone Strikes Hit Pipeline Infrastructure Across Riyadh and Medina
Saudi Arabia abruptly halted operations along its critical East-West crude oil pipeline after drones targeted the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions on Thursday morning, causing fires and some damage, the Saudi government said. Several people were injured in the attacks, it said. The pipeline, which measures more than 1,200 kilometres, was reportedly attacked in late July by Iranian-aligned groups operating from Iraq.
Emergency teams were deployed to secure the pipeline and assess its safety after Thursday’s attacks, the Saudi Energy Ministry said. An energy ministry official told the SPA news agency earlier that the pipeline was stopped as a precaution, and the attacks resulted in some injuries.
CNN reported, citing US government officials, that pumping stations located alongside the pipeline were struck by drones launched from Iraq, and satellite images appear to show that fires may have broke out. The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on the report, and it remains unclear whether the pipeline has been damaged.
Riyadh Withholds Retaliation While Baghdad Investigates Launch Sites
Saudi authorities identified the origin of the aerial assault as Iraqi territory, prompting immediate diplomatic maneuvers. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Friday that Riyadh has decided to refrain from retaliating for now to give the Iraqi government time to take measures to prevent attacks from its territory. Iraq condemned the strikes and said its territory and airspace would not be used as a launchpad, while Iraq’s prime minister requested that Riyadh hold off on an immediate military response.
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.
The foreign ministry stressed that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities,
and its inhabitants. The ministry added that any further developments will be announced in due course.
Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz Under Global Supply Pressures
The sudden closure of the East-West pipeline strikes at the heart of Saudi energy export security. The pipeline links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, boasting a capacity of 7 million barrels per day. The Saudis have relied on the East-West pipeline to shift crude oil exports away from the Persian Gulf as the U.S. and Iran battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz. With a production rate of around 10 million barrels a day, Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest oil producer after the US.
Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said last month that the East-West pipeline has played a bigger role in mitigating the oil supply disruption caused by the Iran war than the release of emergency crude reserves. The pipeline has taken on even greater importance since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, with Riyadh using the pipeline to reroute oil that would otherwise have been destined for tankers. Shipments from Yanbu to Asia still depend on the Bab el-Mandeb strait, and Saudi Arabia has also been seeking alternative routes through the Suez Canal and the Sumed pipeline.
The outage compounds existing supply chain vulnerabilities across the region. Iran-allied militants have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days. Houthi militants in Yemen launched strikes on the kingdom earlier this week that hit energy facilities and other civilian assets, injuring more than 70 people, the Saudi government said. The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against the Saudis in July and have sought to disrupt the kingdom’s oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the southern Red Sea to global markets, alongside attacks on vessels and regional energy infrastructure that have reduced Saudi shipments through the passage.
Energy markets reacted sharply to the compounding disruptions. Oil prices this week broke above $100 per barrel for the first time in months as fighting has escalated in the Middle East. The attack on the pipeline may have played a role in the rally as rumors about the strike circulated Thursday, and prices closed out the week more than 8% higher.
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