Saudi Arabia shuts 1,200km pipeline after Sept 10 attack
Yemeni sources say Houthis seized Perim island on September 11, threatening a Red Sea route for Saudi oil exports as Hormuz traffic stalls
- Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its 1,200km East-West oil pipeline as a precautionary measure following drone attacks on September 10.
- The pipeline is a vital alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, and its closure disrupts the transport of 4-5 million barrels of oil per day, equivalent to 4-5% of global supply.
- The drone attacks, which targeted the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, are believed to have originated from Iraq, where Iran-backed militias operate.
- This disruption, combined with other regional pressures, has contributed to pushing global oil prices above $100 a barrel.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its 1,200km East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks, disrupting a vital alternative to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as Houthi advances near the Red Sea add to pressure on regional energy exports. The Saudi Energy Ministry described the closure as a precaution.
Saudi pipeline closure threatens an alternative to Hormuz
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline had transported 4 million to 5 million barrels a day in recent months, equivalent to 4%–5% of global supply, according to ship-tracking companies and analysts. The 1,200km (745-mile) route across the Arabian Peninsula allowed the world’s largest crude exporter to bypass Hormuz, where tanker traffic has slowed to a trickle during the six-month US–Iran war.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said the East-West pipeline was attacked on the morning of Thursday, September 10, in the Riyadh and Medina regions. Both Saudi Arabia and Iraq said the drones originated in Iraq, where Iran-backed militias operate, but responsibility for the strikes was not immediately clear.
Satellite images showed black smoke rising from an area of the East-West pipeline south of Medina. The Saudi Foreign Ministry reported some injuries and said damage was being assessed, without detailing the impact on exports.
Disruptions at Hormuz and the Houthi advance around the Red Sea have squeezed export routes on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula, sending global oil prices back above US$100 a barrel.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on September 11 that Saudi crude supply had fallen to its lowest level in more than three decades, partly because of attacks on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait by Houthi-linked groups.
Iraq dismisses commander and orders border closure
Iraq dismissed the commander who led military operations in Maysan province on Saturday, September 12, following the pipeline attack, according to the Iraqi prime minister’s office. Maysan, in south-eastern Iraq on the Iranian border, has long been an area where Iran-backed Shia militias operate and maintain influence.
Iraqi authorities also ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh crossing with Iran as a precaution, two security sources told Reuters. The crossing is a major route for imports of Iranian vegetables and other food into Iraq, and the same sources said a large-scale operation was under way to find those responsible for the pipeline attack.
Saudi Arabia has held off retaliation at the Iraqi prime minister’s request, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said, while reserving the right to “take all measures necessary” to protect its interests. Iraq’s government condemned the attacks.
Yemeni sources report Houthi capture of Perim island
Four Yemeni government sources told Reuters that Houthi forces seized Perim island on Friday, September 11. Perim lies in the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, and Houthi control of the wider strait could give Iran a critical advantage in its war with the United States.
Yemeni government forces indicated they planned to retake territory captured during the Houthis’ rapid offensive along the Red Sea coast during the week. The Houthis, mountain fighters who withstood years of Saudi airstrikes during Yemen’s civil war, have tightened their grip on the coastal shipping corridor.
Reuters reported on September 10 that the Houthi advance had received direct guidance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Two Iranian sources said Iran had instructed the Houthis the previous week to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia, promising more funding, weapons and senior officers. Iran publicly denies directing Houthi military operations and describes the group as an ally, “not a proxy”.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said maritime navigation remained safe for all shipping apart from Saudi vessels covered by an earlier ban.
The pipeline attack and capture of Perim, both reported on September 11, could mark a further escalation while diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled.
Sources say Saudi Arabia sought US military help
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump at least twice on September 10 to request military help against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on September 11.
Washington told Riyadh that the United States would assist with intelligence-sharing and targeting but would not take direct military action for now.
The White House did not address Reuters’ question about calls between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A senior US administration official, speaking anonymously, said Washington remained in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government.
Higher fuel prices during the war have already exacted a political toll on US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November 2026 congressional elections.
Iran expects to meet Gulf states in Oman on Monday, September 14, to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on September 11.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, wrote on X on September 12: “As long as the American side does not accept all of Iran’s conditions, dialogue and negotiation are of no use.”
