Houthi Rebels Strike Saudi Oil Pipeline Amid Strait of Hormuz Crisis

The Houthi rebels in Yemen may have attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, which carries 7 million barrels of crude per day. The alleged attack has not been independently confirmed, but satellite images show thermal anomalies in the area.

The East-West pipeline was built in the 1980s as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is a critical chokepoint for oil shipments.

The Houthis' potential strike on the pipeline comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia's allies, including the United States. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck two U.S. vessels and multiple oil tankers in response to U.S. strikes on Iranian oil vessels.