Saudi Arabia says drones launched from Iraq hit East-West pipeline, holds off on retaliation

Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline was attacked by drones launched from Iraq, according to a statement from the Saudi foreign ministry. The ministry said it would not retaliate for now, following a request from Iraq's prime minister, while reserving the right to take measures to protect its sovereignty, security, and critical facilities.

The pipeline, which has a full pumping capacity of approximately seven million barrels per day, was shut down as a precautionary measure after the attack, which resulted in a number of injuries, according to the Saudi Ministry of Energy.

The incident comes amid a spiralling regional conflict, with Saudi Arabia having traded a series of strikes with Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have taken over Yemen's western coast and established a chokehold over the Bab Al Mandeb strait, according to The National UAE.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, Middle East Eye, The National UAE, Saudi Gazette — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.