Saudi Arabia Faces Threat to Overland Oil Pipeline Following Red Sea Disruptions After Attack by Drones Launched From Iraq

Reuters reported on the 11th, local time, that Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, utilized as an alternative crude oil transport route following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, has been attacked and its operations temporarily suspended.

With confirmation that the drones used in the attack were launched from Iraq, Saudi Arabia now faces threats to its overland transportation following disruptions to its maritime routes.

An official from the Saudi Ministry of Energy stated that the pipeline was attacked multiple times in the Riyadh and Medina regions, resulting in some injuries.

The attack occurred on the 10th, and the Saudi government stated that drones launched from Iraqi territory targeted the pipeline.

The Iraqi Prime Minister condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation to identify the perpetrators and other details.

Subsequently, the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office announced past midnight on the 12th, local time, that the investigation confirmed the drones originated from Iraq, and that one military commander had been dismissed.

The Prime Minister's Office explained that the commander had overseen military operations in Maysan Governorate in southern Iraq.

While it has been confirmed that the drones departed from Iraq, the exact perpetrators of the attack have not yet been identified.

However, according to the Associated Press, pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq have recently been jointly conducting military operations targeting Saudi Arabia alongside Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels.

During a large-scale drone attack targeting Saudi oil facilities last July, Houthi special envoys joined the operation control room of Iraqi armed groups to formulate and execute the attack plan.

At that time, the United States and Saudi Arabia pointed to pro-Iranian militias in Iraq as the actual masterminds behind the drone attacks and carried out joint retaliatory airstrikes.

Earlier, CNN reported, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter, that the pipeline and pump stations were hit by projectiles, with satellite imagery capturing a pump station on fire and emitting smoke, as well as apparent widespread fire damage.

The 1,201-kilometer-long East-West Pipeline, which crosses the Arabian Peninsula to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, has gained even greater importance as Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has continued following the outbreak of war triggered by U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February.

This pipeline has a daily crude oil transport capacity of approximately 7 million barrels.

Saudi Arabia has been rerouting about 5 million barrels of crude oil per day through this pipeline and other routes.

Because of this, Aramco Chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan has described the East-West Pipeline as the "lifeline" of the Saudi economy.

CNN reported that regarding this attack, as the war with Iran continues, threats to Saudi Arabia's oil resources and its ability to export them are growing increasingly severe.

In particular, this attack took place while Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels were rapidly seizing key strategic locations in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, including the port of Mocha.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.