Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack from Iraq

Saudi Arabia has shut down its critical East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack on September 10, 2026. The foreign ministry claimed that the drones were launched from Iraq and damaged infrastructure along the pipeline, which is crucial for Saudi energy exports.

The East-West Pipeline delivers oil and gas to the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz and avoiding potential Iranian attacks on shipping. After receiving a request from the Iraqi Prime Minister to allow Baghdad to take measures to prevent further attacks from its territory, Riyadh has decided not to retaliate for now.

The attack comes as tensions in the region escalate, with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement announcing a blockade of Saudi Arabian shipping and launching ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities. The Houthi offensive has seen them take control of much of Yemen's Red Sea coastline and several islands in the strait.