Saudi Arabia closes key oil pipeline after drone attack

Saudi Arabia has closed its East-West pipeline, a crucial oil export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, following a drone attack reportedly launched from Iraq.

The Saudi Energy Ministry announced on 11/9 that the East-West pipeline sustained several attacks the previous day and was closed as a precautionary measure.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated that the pipeline was targeted by drones launched from Iraq, causing material damage and injuring some individuals.

"We have chosen not to retaliate at this stage to support the efforts of the Iraqi government, as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi requested to give them an opportunity to take necessary measures to prevent attacks originating from Iraqi territory against Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries", the statement read.

Fire at a pumping station near Al Dhekra, Saudi Arabia, in a satellite image taken on 10/9. *Planet Labs*

Satellite images show a pumping station near Al Mesbaah, Saudi Arabia, on 15/2 and 11/9. *Airbus, Planet Labs*

The Iraqi government condemned the attacks, adding that it had ordered an urgent investigation into those responsible and would not allow its territory or airspace to be used to launch attacks on neighboring countries.

The commander of Iraq's southern Maysan province was dismissed after the attack on Saudi Arabia was confirmed to have originated from a location within that province, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office.

The perpetrator of the attack was not named, but Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have used drones to target Saudi Arabia in the past, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

He suggested that these groups may have once again attacked Saudi Arabia as part of Iran's strategy to use proxy forces to pressure Arab nations to end the US military presence in the region.

A US official told CNN that pumping stations alongside the East-West pipeline were hit. Satellite images taken on 11/9 showed a pumping station severely damaged by fire. In an image from the previous day, a small fire occurred at another pumping station, sending thick black smoke into the air.

Locations of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. *Guardian*

The duration of the pipeline system's repair process remains unclear. CNN quoted US officials and experts who stated that repairing pumping stations might be less difficult than rectifying severe damage to the pipeline itself.

Saudi Arabia utilizes the East-West pipeline, which leads to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, as an alternative to the Iran-blockaded Strait of Hormuz. The country has transported 4-5 million barrels of crude oil daily through this route in recent months, accounting for 4-5% of global supply.

The attack on the East-West pipeline highlights the increasing threat to Saudi Arabia's oil export capacity, as the Middle East conflict shows no signs of abating.

The strike occurred amidst reports that Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen had captured the strategic Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, thereby tightening their control over the area, often referred to as the "Red Sea choke point", and increasing pressure on global energy markets.