Saudi Oil Pipeline Shutdown and Houthi Advance on Red Sea Coast Threaten Global Energy Supplies
A crucial Saudi oil pipeline was severely damaged in an attack last week and is expected to be out of service for several weeks as repairs are made. The East-West Pipeline, which runs from the Gulf ports to the western Red Sea coast, has a capacity to carry up to 7 million barrels of oil per day.
The pipeline was attacked on Thursday by drones allegedly from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, forcing its shutdown. Regional officials say repairing the damage could take three to five weeks, including repairs at a major pumping facility.
Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi rebels have seized more islands along the Red Sea coast, further straining Saudi Arabia's efforts to export oil through this route. The Houthis have controlled the north of Yemen since 2014 and have been attacking Saudi oil infrastructure in recent months.
The capture of the Hanish islands by the Houthis puts them just 32 kilometers from a U.S. military base in Djibouti, on the other side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strait is a key shipping route and a choke point that connects the Red Sea to the open ocean.
Thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent weeks as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces intensifies. The United Nations estimates that over 80,000 people have been displaced in the past two weeks.