Saudi Arabia's "East-West Pipeline," a vital oil transport route used as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, has been temporarily shut down following an attack, according to Reuters.
The drone used in the attack was confirmed to have been launched from Iraq, placing Saudi Arabia's land-based transport routes under threat, in addition to its maritime routes.
A Saudi Energy Ministry official stated that the pipeline was attacked multiple times in the Riyadh and Medina regions, resulting in some injuries. The attacks occurred on May 10th, and the Saudi government identified drones launched from Iraqi territory as the perpetrators.
In response, the Iraqi Prime Minister condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation to determine the responsible party.
Following the investigation, the Iraqi Prime Minister's office announced on May 12th that a military commander overseeing operations in the southern Maysan province had been dismissed, as the drones were confirmed to have originated from Iraq.
While the origin of the drones from Iraq has been confirmed, the exact perpetrator remains unknown. However, AP reported that recent joint military operations targeting Saudi Arabia have been conducted by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq in collaboration with the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
During a large-scale drone attack on Saudi oil facilities in July, special envoys from the Houthi rebels reportedly joined the operational command center of Iraqi militant groups to plan and execute the attack.
At that time, the United States and Saudi Arabia identified pro-Iranian militias in Iraq as the actual perpetrators and launched joint retaliatory airstrikes.
Earlier, CNN, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter, reported that the pipeline and pump stations were hit by projectiles, with satellite imagery showing a pump station on fire and emitting smoke, as well as another pump station with extensive fire damage.
The 1,201 km long "East-West Pipeline," which crosses the Arabian Peninsula to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, has become increasingly important since the outbreak of war following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, and Iran's subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
This pipeline has the capacity to transport approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil per day.
Saudi Arabia has been rerouting about 5 million barrels of oil daily through this pipeline and other means.
Yasir Osman Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of Aramco, described the East-West Pipeline as the "lifeline" of the Saudi economy.
CNN reported that the ongoing conflict with Iran is increasingly threatening Saudi Arabia's oil resources and its ability to export them.
Notably, this attack occurred as the Houthi rebels in Yemen have rapidly seized key strategic locations at the entrance to the Red Sea, such as the port of Mocha and the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
