Saudi Arabia Shuts Down East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Attacks from Iraq

Saudi Arabia said Friday that it shut down the kingdom's crucial East-West crude oil pipeline as a precautionary measure after multiple attacks by drones launched from Iraq.

The drones targeted the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions Thursday morning causing fires and some damage, the Saudi government said. Several people were injured in the attacks, it said.

The Saudis have relied on the East-West pipeline to shift crude oil exports away from Persian Gulf as the U.S. and Iran battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline, which has a capacity of 7 million barrels per day, runs across the kingdom to export terminals on the Red Sea.

Emergency teams were deployed to secure the pipeline and assess its safety after Thursday's attacks, the Saudi Energy Ministry said. "Any further developments will be announced in due course," the ministry said.

Riyadh has decided to refrain from retaliating for now to give the Iraqi government time to take measures to prevent attacks from its territory, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

Iran-allied militants have escalated strikes on Saudi Arabia this week. Houthi militants in Yemen launched strikes on the kingdom earlier this week that hit energy facilities and other civilian assets, injuring more than 70 people, the Saudi government said.

The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against the Saudis in July and have sought to disrupt the kingdom's oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the southern Red Sea to global markets.

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said last month that the East-West pipeline has played a bigger role in mitigating the impact of the oil supply disruption caused by the Iran war than the release of emergency crude reserves.

Oil prices this week broke above $100 per barrel for the first time in months as fighting has escalated in the Middle East. The attack on the pipeline may have played a role in the rally as rumors about the strike circulated Thursday. Prices closed out the week more than 8% higher.