Saudi Arabia shuts down East-West Pipeline after multiple attacks

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced shutting down of the East-West Pipeline as a precautionary measure after it was subjected to multiple attacks on Thursday.

The Saudi Ministry of Energy said in a statement that the attacks targeted the pipeline in the country’s central Riyadh region and western Medina region, resulting in a number of injuries.

“An official source at the Ministry of Energy stated that the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions was subjected to multiple attacks on the morning of Thursday, 10 September 2026. The pipeline was shut down as a precautionary measure. The attacks resulted in a number of injuries, and medical care was provided to those affected,” said the release shared by the ministry on X.

“The source said emergency and specialised technical teams responded immediately following the attacks, taking the necessary measures to secure the pipeline and assess its safety in line with approved safety procedures and emergency response plans, in coordination with the relevant authorities. Any further developments will be announced in due course,” it added .

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the East-West Pipeline, which carries crude oil from its eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Ministry said Friday a drone attack on its East-West Pipeline was launched from Iraq, causing injuries and damage, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a statement, the ministry condemned the attack and noted that at the request of the Iraqi prime minister, the kingdom had refrained from responding at this stage.

The move was intended to give the Iraqi government an opportunity to take necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against Saudi Arabia, the ministry said.

It added that the kingdom reserves the right to take all appropriate action to protect its sovereignty, security, facilities, and citizens.

Iraq welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to hold off on retaliation, condemned any attack threatening Saudi security, and said it had ordered an investigation into those responsible, according to a statement from its armed forces.

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the East-West Pipeline, which carries crude oil from its eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia’s civilian and energy sites have come under repeated Houthi fire recently. The group said its attacks are in response to Saudi airstrikes on areas under its control in north-western Yemen.

IANS