Saudi Arabia shuts oil pipeline after drone attack

Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks launched from Iraq struck the critical route, injuring people and damaging facilities while adding new pressure to already strained Middle East oil shipping lanes.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday that the pipeline was targeted in the Riyadh and Medina areas by “several drones originating from Iraq.” An official from the Saudi Ministry of Energy told the state news agency SPA that the pipeline had been temporarily stopped “as a precaution” and that the attacks caused injuries.

The 1,200km, or 745-mile, pipeline carries Saudi crude across the kingdom to the Red Sea coast, allowing the world’s largest crude oil exporter to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The BBC reported that the line has helped Saudi Arabia avoid the waterway during the US-Iran war, now in its seventh month. Citing ship tracking companies and analysts, Reuters has reported that the pipeline has been moving 4% to 5% of global oil supply.

Saudi Arabia said it would not retaliate for now after a request from Baghdad, while reserving the right to act to protect itself.

“At the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister to allow the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and neighbouring countries, the Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,” the Saudi ministry said in a statement posted on X.

The statement added that Saudi Arabia “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.”

Iraq condemned the attack and said it rejected “any aggression that threatens the Kingdom’s security and stability or harms the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two countries,” according to a statement from Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces.

The Iraqi prime minister’s office said a military commander who led operations in Maysan province, which borders Iran, was dismissed after investigations confirmed the drones had been launched from within the southern province. Al Jazeera reported that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi also ordered the formation of an “investigative council” to examine the Maysan Operations Command.

Satellite images added to the evidence of a strike. The BBC reported that images showed scorched ground and smoke near the site. Al Jazeera, citing AFP, said Copernicus Sentinel satellite data taken Thursday showed black smoke billowing near Medina along the pipeline route.

The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attack. Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called it “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.” He urged Iraq to take “necessary, decisive measures” to prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for such attacks.

The strike came as Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi movement made rapid gains along the Red Sea. The BBC reported that sources said Houthi militants seized control of much of Yemen’s coastline, while Al Jazeera reported they captured Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast and three strategic islands on Friday. The group claims it controls the Bab al-Mandab Strait but says maritime navigation is “safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels.”

The disruptions on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula have pushed crude oil prices above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, the BBC reported.