Saudi Arabia shuts vital East-West Pipeline after multiple attacks

Saudi Arabia has shut down its critical East-West Pipeline following multiple attacks on Thursday, September 10, 2026, a move that removes a vital alternative export route for Middle Eastern oil and further tightens global supply. The Ministry of Energy announced the shutdown on Friday, September 11, describing it as a precautionary measure after the pipeline was struck in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The statement confirmed the attacks caused injuries and that emergency teams were securing the site and assessing safety. The closure of the pipeline, which can carry up to 7 million barrels per day from Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, comes as Yemen's Houthi rebels have seized coastal territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis captured the strategic island of Mayun, also known as Perim, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, according to officials from Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthis. This territorial gain threatens a key shipping lane for Saudi oil exports. The East-West Pipeline was built in the 1980s as a bypass to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted by the ongoing conflict involving Iran.