Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its strategic East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack, describing the move as a precautionary measure amid growing security risks around the region’s vital energy and shipping corridors.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said operations on the 1,200-kilometre pipeline were suspended a day after the attack. The route is particularly important for the Kingdom as it allows crude exports to reach global markets while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry blamed several drones originating from Iraq for the attack, while Baghdad condemned the assault and ordered an investigation into the incident.
The development came as Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen reportedly seized the port of Mokha and the strategically located Perim island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, opening another potentially dangerous front in the widening West Asia conflict. Yemeni government sources said their forces had withdrawn from Perim and claimed the Houthis had also taken control of Dhubab on the Red Sea coast.
The Bab el-Mandeb is a crucial international shipping route. Any sustained Houthi control over the waterway could disrupt another major energy corridor and put further upward pressure on global oil prices.
The Saudi pipeline has reportedly been carrying around four to five million barrels of crude a day in recent months, equivalent to roughly 4–5 per cent of global supply, making its shutdown significant for international energy markets.