Oil climbs as Saudi pipeline outage, fresh attacks heighten supply concerns
Oil prices increased due to heightened supply concerns following attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure, which took the East-West pipeline offline. Fresh attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces and postponed Gulf Arab discussions with Iran have escalated Middle East tensions, impacting critical shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz and potentially removing 4% of global oil supply.
Why it matters
Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East directly threaten global oil supplies, potentially leading to higher energy costs, broader economic instability worldwide, and increased shipping risks in vital trade routes.
Oil prices rose on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) as concerns over supply disruptions persisted after attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure left the kingdom’s East-West pipeline offline and cast doubt on efforts to ease shipping risks in the Gulf.
Brent crude futures rose $1.37, or 1.3%, to $107.05 a barrel at 0406 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.53, or 1.51%, at $102.92 a barrel. Both benchmarks rose more than 1% in the previous session.
Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday (September 14, 2026), while Gulf Arab states postponed planned discussions with Iran, fuelling concerns that the Middle East conflict could widen and disrupt global oil supplies.
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