Iran's Pipeline Gambit Exposes Regional Oil Export Tensions
A recent drone attack on a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia has been linked to Iran's efforts to control regional oil exports, according to analysis. The 745-mile East-West pipeline, which bypasses the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and allows Saudi oil to be exported via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, was hit by drones on a critical stretch.
Satellite images showed scorched ground and smoke near the pipeline, which moves five percent of global oil supply. The incident has added further pressure to volatile energy markets. Riyadh announced it had closed the pipeline as a precaution after the attack originated in Iraq, confirmed by Baghdad, which is investigating the matter.
Traces of explosives and drone launchers were discovered in Iraq's Maysan province near the border. The Institute for the Study of War said that the Houthis are working with other Tehran-backed Axis of Resistance actors to force Saudi Arabia to meet its demands. This includes Iranian-backed Iraqi militias allowing the Houthis to operate in areas they control.
Newsweek has contacted the Iranian foreign ministry for comment, but so far, no response has been received. Meanwhile, Thomas O'Donnell, a Berlin-based energy analyst, notes that hitting a pipeline may not have an immediate effect on oil exports and that pipelines are relatively easy to repair.