Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks
Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline after September 10 attacks caused injuries and damage. Officials blamed drones launched from Iraq; no reopening date was confirmed in the reports cited.
In short
- Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline after September 10 attacks caused injuries and damage.
- Officials blamed drones launched from Iraq; no reopening date was confirmed in the reports cited.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its East-West oil pipeline after attacks caused injuries and damage, interrupting an export route used to bypass the disrupted Strait of Hormuz.
An official Energy Ministry account published by the [Saudi Press Agency on September 11, 2026](https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2674017) dated the attacks to the morning of September 10 in the Riyadh and Madinah regions and described the shutdown as precautionary.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry subsequently said the drones had been launched from Iraq. Its [statement published on September 12](https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2674116) reported injuries and damage. Those statements establish the government's account of the attacks; they do not independently identify the operators.
[The Guardian reported on September 12](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/12/saudi-arabia-shuts-down-oil-pipeline-blaming-drones-from-iraq) that Iraq's prime minister's office acknowledged the attack originated on Iraqi territory and dismissed the commander responsible for Maysan province. Riyadh said it was withholding a response at Iraq's request while reserving its right to protect its facilities.
The pipeline connects Abqaiq, near the Gulf, with Yanbu on the Red Sea. Its increased use during the Middle East war has made it an important alternative to shipping through Hormuz. The reports cited here gave no confirmed reopening date.
