Houthis Tighten Grip on Red Sea Shipping as Saudis Shut Down Oil Pipeline

Saudi Arabia has temporarily closed its East-West pipeline after it came under aerial attack in the widening Middle East conflict. The pipeline, which runs for 1,200 kilometers across the Arabian Peninsula, had been moving around 4-5 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for about 4% to 5% of global supply.

The attack on the pipeline follows a similar drone strike that targeted an oil facility in Iraq. Baghdad and Riyadh have both blamed the attack on Iraqi militias, while Iraq has dismissed a military commander over the incident.

The closure of the East-West pipeline comes as Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen tighten their grip on the Red Sea. The Houthis have reportedly seized control of the strategic island of Perim at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, further disrupting shipping traffic in the region.