RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed in the strongest terms the kingdom’s condemnation of the targeting of the East-West Pipeline in Riyadh and Madinah regions by several drones launched from Iraq, resulting in injuries and some damage that is currently being addressed.
In a statement, the ministry stated: “The Kingdom clarifies that, following a request from the prime minister of Iraq to give the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries, the Kingdom has opted not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government.”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirmed that it reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, facilities, citizens, and residents.
The vital oil route came under aerial attack as the Middle East war involving the US and Iran has widened.
Following the attack, Saudi Arabia has temporarily closed the pipeline after the drone attack, which had originated in Iraq. Iraq had dismissed a military commander and ordered an investigation on Saturday in response to the attack.
Stretching roughly 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) across the Arabian Peninsula, the pipeline has enabled Saudi Arabia to avoid the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil tanker movements have fallen sharply amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran.
The attack comes as US-Iran war reached Red Sea and amid dramatic escalation as Yemen’s Houthis stormed key Perim Island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait, putting another vital global shipping route directly in the crosshairs.
The move came after government forces pulled back from the island, while Houthi fighters also seized Dhubab, a coastal town on Yemen’s Red Sea shoreline directly opposite Perim. For global shipping and energy markets, the location of these gains is what makes the latest development so significant.
Perim sits in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Any sustained Houthi presence there could give the group a powerful position from which to threaten or disrupt ships moving through the waterway. And the timing could hardly be more sensitive.
Hormuz, another critical energy corridor on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, already been severely disrupted amid the Iran conflict. With Hormuz under pressure, the Red Sea route has become increasingly important for Saudi Arabia and other oil producers. A serious disruption at Bab el-Mandeb could therefore turn an already difficult energy crisis into a much bigger one.
Saudi Arabia is particularly exposed to the developments. The kingdom has been relying more heavily on its East-West oil pipeline, which carries crude from the oil-rich eastern region toward the Red Sea. The route gives Riyadh a way to move oil without depending entirely on the Strait of Hormuz.
But fresh concerns emerged after satellite images showed smoke near the pipeline. There has been no confirmation that the pipeline was attacked, and Saudi authorities have not publicly linked the smoke to any incident.
Still, the timing has raised questions because the pipeline has become a vital part of Saudi Arabia’s strategy for keeping its oil exports moving while Hormuz remains heavily disrupted.
The pressure on the kingdom’s energy exports is already becoming visible. Saudi crude supply dropped by around 2.3 million barrels per day in August, falling to roughly 6 million barrels per day. That was the lowest level recorded in more than three decades.
Disruption involving ships travelling through the Bab el-Mandeb area and attacks linked to the Houthi movement were among the factors affecting Saudi oil flows. If the Houthis manage to maintain their position around the strait, concerns over future supplies could intensify quickly.
