Saudi Arabia Shuts Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack From Iraq

CAIRO— Saudi Arabia has shut its strategic East-West oil pipeline after drones launched from Iraq struck facilities along the pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, while Iraq has dismissed a military commander and opened an investigation into the attacks.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday that the drone attacks caused injuries and some damage, which was being assessed and addressed. The kingdom described the attack as a serious threat to its security and vital infrastructure.

The ministry said the East-West pipeline was shut as a precaution following the attack, adding that Saudi Arabia had decided not to retaliate immediately after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi asked Riyadh to give his government an opportunity to take measures to prevent further attacks from Iraqi territory.

Saudi Arabia said it would support Iraq’s efforts to prevent attacks against the kingdom and neighbouring countries, but warned that it reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, facilities, citizens and residents.

The East-West pipeline, which stretches about 1,200 kilometres from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, provides an alternative export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Reuters, the pipeline transports about four to five million barrels of crude oil daily, equivalent to roughly four to five per cent of global oil supply, making the disruption significant for international energy markets.

Iraq has meanwhile taken direct action following the attack.

The office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said early on Saturday that investigations had confirmed that the latest drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia were launched from a location in Maysan Province, southern Iraq.

The prime minister subsequently ordered the removal of the commander of the Maysan Operations Command and directed the establishment of an investigative council to examine the circumstances surrounding the attacks and determine responsibility.

Maj.-Gen. Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, said the government condemned any attack that threatens Saudi Arabia’s security and stability or damages the longstanding relations between the two countries.

Iraq also ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran as a precaution, while security forces launched a wider operation to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attacks, according to security sources cited by Reuters.

The developments come amid a wider escalation in the Middle East, including a major advance by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and their reported seizure of strategic territory around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthi advance has heightened concerns over global energy supplies and shipping, particularly as the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by the wider conflict.

The latest attacks have already contributed to renewed pressure on global oil prices, with crude trading above 100 dollars a barrel amid fears of further disruption to major energy routes.