Yanbu Port Oil Shipments Halted Amid East-West Pipeline Attack
Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline has been shut down after drone strikes on critical pumping stations in Iraq. The pipeline, which carries crude oil from Eastern Province fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, was damaged by a series of attacks on September 10-11, 2026.
The shutdown has halted the flow of approximately 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, accounting for about 4% of global supply. This has led to a sharp increase in global crude prices, with Brent crude trading near $108.47 per barrel on Monday.
The East-West Pipeline was built in the 1980s as a strategic backup to transport crude from Eastern Province fields like Abqaiq to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. With the closure of the pipeline, global energy markets are facing a severe physical shortage.