Saudi Arabia shuts key oil pipeline after drone attack

Photo — Mumtaz Niazi / Pexels

Saudi Arabia’s decision to shut down its East-West oil pipeline followed a coordinated aerial drone strike originating from Iraq against the critical conduit that carries crude from the Gulf to the Red Sea, a route designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.[2][4][9][11] The attack comes amid a broader Middle East crisis in which Yemen’s Houthis have tightened their grip on Red Sea shipping and warned that they could move to fully close the Bab al-Mandeb strait, raising the risk of major disruption to one of the world’s most important energy and trade arteries.[3][4] The pipeline closure not only curbs Saudi export capacity in the near term but also heightens fears of further strikes on energy infrastructure across the region, with global markets bracing for supply shocks and price spikes as governments and militaries assess how to respond.[2][4][9][11] Diplomatic actors, including BRICS leaders, have publicly urged maximum restraint in the Middle East even as the conflict’s economic and security implications for oil-importing states, shipping companies and insurers grow by the hour.[4][13]

Sources: BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters, NBC News, ABC News