Saudi Arabia halts East-West oil pipeline after drone strikes from Iraq

What Happened

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its East-West oil pipeline after several drones launched from Iraq targeted the route in the Riyadh and Medina regions, Saudi authorities said Friday.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the strikes caused injuries and material damage. An Energy Ministry official told the state SPA news agency that the pipeline was stopped as a precaution while emergency teams assessed its safety. CNBC reported that the attacks also caused fires.

Satellite imagery from Copernicus Sentinel data taken Thursday showed black smoke near Medina along the general route of the pipeline, according to Al Jazeera and The Guardian. The BBC reported that images also showed scorched ground and smoke near the site.

The East-West pipeline carries Saudi crude across the kingdom to export facilities on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which the sources say has been closed by Iran amid the wider regional conflict.

What Each Side Is Saying

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the attack but said it would not retaliate for now after a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to give Baghdad an opportunity to prevent further attacks from Iraqi territory.

“The Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement cited by Al Jazeera. The ministry said Saudi Arabia reserved the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, critical facilities, citizens and residents.

Iraq condemned the strikes and said it rejected any aggression threatening Saudi security and stability. The Iraqi prime minister’s office said an investigation had confirmed that the drone attack was launched from a location in Maysan governorate, a southern province bordering Iran.

Baghdad removed the commander responsible for operations in Maysan after that finding, according to the Iraqi prime minister’s office. Al Jazeera reported that al-Zaidi also ordered an investigative council to examine the Maysan Operations Command.

Why It Matters

The stoppage affects a route that has become especially important for Saudi oil exports. The pipeline links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, The Guardian reported. CNBC put its capacity at 7 million barrels per day, while Reuters, cited by the BBC, reported that it had been carrying an estimated 4% to 5% of global oil supply.

The differing measures describe the pipeline’s role in different ways and do not directly establish how much supply was disrupted by the precautionary shutdown. Saudi authorities did not provide a timetable for restoring operations.

Oil prices rose above $100 a barrel during the week of the attack, according to CNBC, the BBC and The Guardian, as fighting and threats to shipping routes added to concern over regional supplies.

The Big Picture

The drone strike comes as pressure has grown on oil transport routes around the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen’s Houthi movement has stepped up activity in the region and asserted control over areas around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key passage connecting the Red Sea with global shipping lanes. Accounts of the group’s territorial gains vary among the reports.

The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the pipeline attack. Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called it a “dangerous escalation” and an “unacceptable threat” to Saudi Arabia’s security and vital installations, as well as a violation of international law. He urged Iraq to take decisive steps to prevent its territory from being used to launch further attacks.

What Happens Next

Saudi Arabia has said emergency teams are evaluating the pipeline and that further developments will be announced. Iraq’s investigation, including the inquiry into the Maysan Operations Command, is likely to determine whether Baghdad can meet Riyadh’s demand that attacks launched from its territory be stopped.

For now, Saudi Arabia’s decision to defer retaliation leaves the immediate focus on restoring the route’s safety and preventing another strike. Riyadh has nonetheless explicitly retained the option of taking further measures if it judges that its security or oil infrastructure remains at risk.