Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline after reported drone attacks

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its approximately 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after several attacks in the Riyadh and Medina regions, according to reporting by France 24 International.

Saudi authorities said drones launched from Iraqi territory struck the pipeline, causing damage and injuring some people. Those injured received medical treatment, but authorities did not disclose the number of casualties, the extent of the damage or how long the shutdown would last.

The pipeline provides Saudi Arabia with an alternative route for crude exports that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. Its closure could therefore constrain an important export channel, although the operational impact remains unclear.

Iraq condemned any attack threatening Saudi security and said its prime minister had ordered an investigation into those responsible. Baghdad also said it would not retaliate at this stage and welcomed Riyadh’s decision to hold off on retaliation.

The available information does not establish who carried out the attacks or whether the Iraqi state was involved. The reported launch point, attributed by Saudi authorities to Iraqi territory, remains separate from responsibility for the strikes.

The incident comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz faces tighter security arrangements. The Financial Times reported that the United States had restricted tanker movements to two daily time slots for military protection, though it was not clear whether those measures were directly connected to the pipeline attack.