Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The Energy Ministry said the pipeline was shut as a precaution after strikes on September 10 in the Riyadh and Madinah regions. Several people were injured, while emergency and technical teams moved to secure the system and assess its integrity under approved safety procedures.
The Foreign Ministry said the drones had been launched from Iraq and caused injuries and material damage. Riyadh said it had chosen not to retaliate at this stage after Iraq’s prime minister asked for time to prevent further attacks from Iraqi territory, while reserving the right to take measures needed to protect Saudi sovereignty, infrastructure and residents.
Iraq has acknowledged that the attacks originated from its territory and opened an investigation. The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said a senior military commander responsible for operations in Maysan province had been dismissed after investigators established the launch area, while security authorities pursued those responsible.
No group has claimed responsibility for the pipeline strikes. US President Donald Trump said on September 12 that Iran was probably responsible, but Saudi statements have not publicly identified a perpetrator beyond saying that the drones came from Iraq. Iran has denied directing allied armed groups in the region in other attacks.
The shutdown has raised concern because the roughly 1,200-kilometre East-West system carries crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oilfields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The route has become more important as tanker movements through Hormuz have been sharply constrained by the wider regional conflict.
The US Energy Information Administration says the line can carry as much as 7 million barrels a day, with about 5 million barrels a day available for exports and the remainder serving domestic needs. Its data show oil flows through Hormuz fell to 4.9 million barrels a day in the second quarter, while volumes through Bab el-Mandeb rose to 8.1 million during the same period.
Market sensitivity has increased as pressure has also grown on the Red Sea corridor. Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen have expanded their presence along the coast and taken positions near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, another critical passage for energy and commercial shipping. Attacks on vessels and Saudi energy infrastructure have complicated the kingdom’s ability to redirect barrels away from the Gulf.
Brent crude settled at $104.61 a barrel on September 11, while US West Texas Intermediate ended at $100.05, leaving both benchmarks above $100 as traders assessed supply losses and the risk of further attacks. Prices had risen more than 8 per cent over the week amid mounting concern over Middle East export capacity.
Saudi Arabia’s crude supply had already fallen sharply before the pipeline shutdown. The International Energy Agency estimated August supply at about 6 million barrels a day, its lowest level in more than three decades, after attacks and shipping constraints reduced the volume reaching global markets. Saudi figures reported to OPEC showed higher production and supply levels, reflecting differences in measurement.
The East-West line has been handling an estimated 4 million to 5 million barrels a day during the disruption, making any prolonged outage significant for international balances. Saudi authorities have not announced how long the precautionary closure will last or given a timetable for full operations to resume.
The International Maritime Organization has documented dozens of confirmed incidents affecting shipping across the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters this year. Its latest updates have also highlighted risks to seafarers, port workers and offshore crews as traffic patterns shift and commercial operators reassess routes.
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