Language Settings
Select Website Language

Saudi Arabia Halts East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Strike From Iraq

1 hour ago

Saudi Arabia shut its East-West pipeline after a drone attack launched from Iraq's Maysan province. Iraq fired a commander and opened an investigation.

Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West oil pipeline after the line was hit by drones flown in from neighbouring Iraq, closing a route the kingdom relies on to move crude without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh announced the closure on Friday, calling it a precautionary step while it assessed the damage.

Iraq acknowledged that the drones had come from its territory, specifically from Maysan, a province on its border with Iran. The Iraqi prime minister's office said it had dismissed the operations commander for the governorate after confirming the attack originated there, and it has opened an investigation into how the strike was mounted.

The Saudi foreign ministry said the attack caused injuries and physical damage, the full extent of which was still being measured. Satellite photographs released afterwards showed burned ground and smoke rising near the targeted section of the line. Imagery from Planet Labs captured the site before and after the hit.

The pipeline stretches 1,200km (745 miles) and is central to how Saudi Arabia, the largest crude exporter in the world, ships oil while sidestepping the congested Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, which cited ship-tracking firms and analysts, the route had been carrying between 4% and 5% of the world's oil supply before the shutdown.

Saudi Arabia said it would not strike back for now. Its foreign ministry said the decision followed a telephone call from the Iraqi prime minister, and that the kingdom would back Baghdad's efforts to stop cross-border attacks on its neighbours. At the same time, the ministry said Riyadh keeps the option of acting later, stating it "reserves its right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security, protect its facilities, and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents."

This is not the first time Riyadh has blamed armed groups inside Iraq for going after its energy sites. Saudi Arabia has before pointed to Iran-backed militias operating on Iraqi soil, and it has joined the United States in carrying out strikes against those groups after accusing them of sending drones at oil installations.

Gulf states condemn the strike

The Gulf Co-operation Council, whose members are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, issued a joint statement denouncing the attack. Its secretary general, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, described the strike as "a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its territorial integrity, and its vital installations, as well as a flagrant violation of the principles of international law."

The strike landed as fighting across the wider region intensifies. The confrontation between the United States and Iran has now run into its seventh month, and the pressure on oil routes is mounting on more than one front.

Houthi gains in Yemen

In Yemen, Iran-aligned Houthi fighters have pushed forward rapidly over the past week and, according to sources, taken control of much of the country's coastline. The group said it now holds the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the entry point to the Red Sea and, beyond it, the Suez Canal. The Houthis said shipping through the waterway remained "safe for all."

The rebels seized the entire Red Sea coast earlier in the week. On Friday, forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government said they had hit Houthi positions in Mokha, a coastal city of strategic value, a day after the group consolidated its hold on the shoreline.

Together, the pipeline closure and the Houthi advance place fresh strain on the global shipping lanes that carry a large share of the world's oil, tightening the squeeze on routes that run through both the Red Sea and the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia oil pipeline, East-West pipeline, Iraq drone attack, Maysan governorate, Houthi Yemen advance, Strait of Hormuz, Iran-backed militia, Bab al-Mandab Strait

Click here to Read More
Previous Article
New Hero ADV Bike Spied on Factory Floor, Could Be Impulse 160
Next Article
Algeria Cuts Diplomatic Ties With the UAE

Related Middle East Updates:

Are you sure? You want to delete this comment..! Remove Cancel

Comments (0)

    Leave a comment