Saudi Arabia shut down its 1,200‑km East‑West crude oil pipeline after a drone strike that Baghdad and Riyadh said originated in Iraq. The attack halted a key route that had allowed the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has blockaded commercial shipping. The shutdown could push global energy prices higher, as the pipeline had helped Saudi Arabia avoid congestion in the Strait of Hormuz.
The pipeline had helped Saudi Arabia avoid congestion in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that has been a flashpoint since Iran began threatening shipping in the region. The latest strikes coincide with advances by Yemen’s Iran‑aligned Houthi rebels, who seized the strategic Perim island and the port of Mokha along the Red Sea coast. These gains tighten the Houthis’ control over the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, a crucial global shipping lane for crude oil. The combination of the pipeline shutdown and Houthi expansion further constricts Saudi export routes.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran was “probably” responsible for the attack, though he offered no evidence. Trump also noted that the Houthis had asked the United States not to intervene and that he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he described as a “good friend.” Trump told reporters in Dublin that the situation would “work out just fine” and that the war with Iran would end soon, while assuring that oil prices would eventually fall.
Iraq’s prime minister, Ali Faleh al‑Zaidi, agreed to a joint investigation with Iran into drone launch sites near the Iraqi–Iranian border, where the platforms used for the pipeline attack were found. Iraqi officials said they would examine the circumstances and had dismissed a militia commander linked to the strike. The government faces pressure to prevent local Iran‑backed militias from supporting other proxy groups, especially as Houthi advances threaten to widen the conflict and destabilise the region.
