Saudi Arabia shuts key oil pipeline after drone attack from Iraq

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its 1,200-kilometer East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack launched from Iraqi territory, halting a critical bypass route for crude exports and tightening global energy supply. The Saudi Ministry of Energy announced the shutdown on Friday, September 11, 2026, as a precautionary measure following strikes that caused injuries and damage in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The pipeline, which can carry up to 7 million barrels per day from the eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, had been operating at full capacity to mitigate disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The attack originated from Iraq's Maysan province, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister's office. No group has claimed responsibility, but the region is known for Iran-backed militias. Iraq responded by dismissing the military commander of Maysan and ordering the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran as a precaution. The Iraqi government condemned the attack and stated its territory would not be used as a launchpad for aggression.