Saudi Arabia Shuts Down East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Strikes

Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline shut down on September 11. Drone strikes from Iraq-based militias had set off fires at several points along the route. The Saudi Energy Ministry closed the line as a precautionary measure while engineers checked the damage. Satellite images showed smoke rising for roughly 60 miles.

Petroline, the pipeline's formal name, moves crude from the Eastern Province to Yanbu on the Red Sea. It is the main alternative when the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, letting Saudi tankers load at a Red Sea port rather than exiting through the Gulf. Closing it means Gulf-routed tankers carry more of the burden at a time when Hormuz itself is already under pressure.

The attack landed on the same day that Houthis seized Perim Island, putting Bab el-Mandeb under threat. Both of Saudi Arabia's main oil export routes were under pressure at once. Iraq dismissed a military commander after U.S. officials confirmed the drones came from inside Iraqi territory.

Oil tanker rates hit record highs as cargo owners scrambled for routes around the Hormuz and sought tankers able to swing through other passages. With Petroline offline and Bab el-Mandeb in Houthi hands, the options narrowed fast. Earlier this month, the Saudi supertanker SIDR was hit by three projectiles in one of a series of strikes on Saudi shipping.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked President Trump to authorise military action against the Houthis. Trump said no. He agreed, however, to share targeting intelligence. No timeline has been given for reopening Petroline.