Saudi Arabia's East-West Oil Pipeline Attacked, Causing Limited Fire
Saudi Arabia's critical East-West oil pipeline was targeted in an attack in the Medina region, resulting in a limited fire that was quickly extinguished. The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed the incident through the Saudi Press Agency, stating that no injuries or fatalities occurred and pipeline operations remained unaffected. While the report did not identify the perpetrators, the attack comes amidst intensified conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. This pipeline, stretching 1,200km (745-miles) across the Arabian Peninsula, is crucial for bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that has seen increased tensions. The pipeline has been targeted multiple times previously, including a shutdown in September following drone attacks that Saudi Arabia attributed to Iraq. Riyadh reroutes approximately 4 million barrels per day of crude, about 4 percent of global supply, through this pipeline to Yanbu, especially since disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
