Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its vital East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack linked to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. This disruption, coupled with Houthi rebel activity in the Red Sea, has caused global oil prices to rise above $100 per barrel.
Why it matters
The simultaneous threats to key energy infrastructure and shipping lanes pose a significant risk to global oil supply stability and could impact international political landscapes.
A satellite image shows black smoke rising from an area of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline south of Medina, Hejaz Region, Saudi Arabia September 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: VIA REUTERS
Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline after the vital oil conduit came under aerial attack in the widening Middle East war.
The world’s largest crude oil exporter temporarily closed the pipeline after a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said had originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack.
The 1,200-kilometre (745-mile) pipeline running across the Arabian Peninsula had helped Saudi Arabia to bypass a shipping logjam in the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has slowed to a trickle due to the war between the U.S. and Iran.
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