Business · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Saudi Arabia Halts East-West Crude Pipeline After Multiple Attacks In Riyadh And Madinah
Saudi Arabia temporarily shuts the East-West pipeline after attacks in Riyadh and Madinah. The energy ministry says the shutdown is precautionary pending further developments.
Whether drones came from Iraq.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: satellite and fire-detection data suggest a pumping station may have been hit.
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Kurdistan24
“the attack was carried out by drones originating from within Iraqi territory”Read the original ↗
Kurdistan24 specifies an Iraq-origin drone attack, while UA.News stresses limited official detail. Most outlets stick to a precautionary shutdown after attacks.
Pipeline Shut After Attacks
Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its East-West crude oil pipeline as a precaution after it came under multiple attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions on Thursday morning, the Energy Ministry said Friday.
“Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its vital East-West crude oil pipeline as a precaution”
UA.NEWS likewise said Saudi Arabia halted the East-West pipeline after several attacks on Thursday morning in the Riyadh and Medina regions, with people injured and receiving medical assistance.U
The Saudi Energy Ministry said emergency and specialized technical teams arrived immediately to secure the pipeline and assess its condition, while the ministry did not specify the number of injured people or the condition of those hurt.
The ministry also did not provide details about the nature of the strikes and did not indicate who carried out the attacks, and it said further developments would be reported later.
NBC News connected the Saudi shutdown to the wider Red Sea crisis, saying strikes inside Saudi Arabia forced the shutdown of a critical oil pipeline while Houthi forces tightened their grip on Yemen’s Red Sea coastline.
Injuries, Teams, and Claims
Arab News reported that the Saudi Ministry of Energy said several people were injured in the attacks on Thursday morning and received medical treatment, and that emergency and specialized technical teams were deployed immediately to secure the pipeline and assess its safety.
The Saudi Energy Ministry statement described the shutdown as precautionary and said any further developments would be announced as they arise, while the ministry said the attacks occurred in the Riyadh and Madinah regions.
Kurdistan24 said the Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed injuries and suspension of pipeline operations as a precautionary safety measure after the Thursday attacks on pumping stations near Riyadh and Medina.K
Kurdistan24 also quoted the Saudi Energy Ministry’s official statement that "operations in the pipeline have been suspended" as a result of the attacks.K
NBC News added that the Saudi Energy Ministry said the attacks "resulted in a number of injuries" and that its teams were "taking the necessary measures to secure the pipeline and assess its safety."
What’s at Stake Next
The shutdown comes as the East-West pipeline is described in the reporting as a key alternative for Saudi exports that can’t transit Hormuz, with NBC News saying the kingdom has had to rely on the Red Sea route given disruption to the Strait of Hormuz.
“has had to rely on the Red Sea route given the disruption to the Strait of Hormuz”
NBC News warned that effective Houthi control over Bab el Mandeb, described as a gateway to the Red Sea trade route linking Europe and Asia, could imperil oil exports and deepen the world’s energy crisis.
Energy News Beat framed the situation as a possible strike on a pumping station on Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude pipeline, noting that open-source satellite imagery and fire-detection data raised the possibility of a hit but that it was unconfirmed by Saudi Aramco and the Saudi government.
In the same reporting, Energy News Beat said the Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed that energy-sector facilities in the southern region were targeted on September 8, with fires breaking out and 73 people wounded in attacks on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.
NBC News also reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to take military action against the Houthis, while Trump declined and agreed to provide military assistance such as helping the Saudis develop targeting and share information.