Saudi’s East-West oil pipeline pumping halted after new attack

Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has been halted once more following a recent attack on its critical infrastructure, according to a source within the kingdom's energy sector. The pipeline, which is about 1,200km (700 miles) long and connects Saudi Arabia's main oil fields in the east to the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea, was attacked again yesterday.

A pumping station situated east of Riyadh in Khurais was targeted, marking the first time it has been hit. The attack caused significant damage, subsequently halting oil flows in the pipeline once again.

This latest disruption in the East-West pipeline comes a day after the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for targeting Aramco sites in Saudi Arabia, including facilities in Khurais. The East-West pipeline has experienced multiple attacks since the war erupted across the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The pipeline, which was closed by Saudi Arabia last month due to attacks on Saudi oil facilities originating from Iraq – home to pro-Iranian armed groups – resumed operations only briefly between September 11 and 22. Commodity-tracking platform Kpler reported that flows in the pipeline ceased from September 11 to 22. The pipeline became indispensable for Saudi Arabia's oil trade after Iran initiated a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of the Middle East conflict, effectively cutting off its primary export route.