🇸🇦Saudi Arabia has halted operations on the key East–West oil pipeline following an attack involving

🇸🇦Saudi Arabia has halted operations on the key East–West oil pipeline following an attack involving several drones

🆕According to Saudi authorities, the drones were launched from Iraqi territory. The attack resulted in casualties and damage to infrastructure, Reuters and AFP report.

📌Saudi Arabia has not yet launched a retaliatory strike against Iraq. Riyadh said it had given Baghdad time to address the attacks at the request of the Iraqi prime minister. Iraq confirmed that the strikes originated from its territory and removed the commander of military operations in Maysan province from his post.

📌The pipeline itself is a crucial route for Saudi oil. It stretches for approximately 1,200 kilometers, connecting oil fields in the east of the country with the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. Its maximum capacity is around 7 million barrels per day.

📌Following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, this route became especially important for Riyadh, as it allows oil to be exported without passing through the Persian Gulf. Now this route has also been shut down.

📌At the same time, Reuters reports that the Iran-backed Houthis have seized the strategic island of Perim at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as the port of Mocha. This strengthens their position near one of the key maritime routes connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

📌The Saudis have requested U.S. military assistance against the Houthis. Washington has so far refused to carry out direct strikes, but has offered intelligence support and assistance with targeting, Reuters writes.

📌Against the backdrop of all these developments, oil remains above $100 per barrel.

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