Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of its East-West pipeline after it was attacked on Thursday. This pipeline is a key channel for Middle Eastern oil exports, which previously helped stabilize energy prices amid the conflict between the US and Israel against Iran.
According to an official source from the Ministry of Energy, the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions was repeatedly attacked on the morning of Thursday, September 10, 2026. The Saudi Arabian official agency reported that the pipeline was shut down as a precautionary measure but did not specify when operations would resume.
On Thursday, social media posts appeared showing large columns of black smoke, indicating attacks on the pipeline at several locations. These events occurred against the backdrop of Houthi advances in Yemen along the Red Sea, who pushed their military forces to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, allowing them to gain control over maritime traffic.
Previously, the Houthis used drones and missiles to strike vessels, but now they can employ standard artillery. Saudi Arabia has not disclosed information about the perpetrators of the attacks on the East-West pipeline. CNN previously reported that the pipeline was hit by drones originating from Iraq.
Iraqi Shia militias and Houthi Yemen are supported by Iran and have previously coordinated their actions. It is assumed that the Houthis send advisors to Iraq, and Iraqi militias send technical specialists to the Houthis.
The East-West pipeline was built by Saudi Arabia in the 1980s as a bypass around the Strait of Hormuz during the war between Iran and Iraq. It connects the kingdom's oil fields on the Persian Gulf coast with the Yanbu port on the Red Sea. Thanks to this pipeline, Saudi Arabia could export about a third of its oil volume before the war, even when other Gulf producers, such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, could not export crude oil.
The UAE continues to export using vessels that have disabled trackers, as well as a small pipeline ending outside the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the East-West pipeline highlights the vulnerability of any bypass routes around the Strait of Hormuz, as peace talks aimed at ending the war have virtually ceased.
The Financial Times reported that Gulf states plan to meet with Iran next week to discuss resuming shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with Oman's mediation. Oil prices this week exceeded $100 per barrel in response to the Houthi control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The group has announced an embargo on Saudi oil supplies, and diplomats note that it is considering charging transit fees for the waterway, similar to what Iran attempted to impose in the Strait of Hormuz.