Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Critical Oil Pipeline Following Drone Attack Amid Widening Iran Conflict

Saudi Arabia has shut down a key oil pipeline after it was attacked by drones from Iraq, as repercussions of the Iran war widen. The development is more bad news for the Saudi government after the Iran-backed Houthis captured strategic points along the Red Sea, bringing them close to controlling the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical energy route.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy confirmed in a statement posted to its website Friday that the pipeline had been attacked and “was shut down as a precautionary measure.” Two US officials familiar with the matter earlier said the pipeline system in Saudi Arabia was struck by projectiles on Thursday. An early analysis found that pump stations, which are located next to the pipeline itself, were hit, one of the US officials said.

A satellite image taken Friday appears to show extensive fire damage at one pumping station, and an image of a different pumping station, taken Thursday, showed a small fire sending up plumes of thick, black smoke. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes or if sections of the pipeline itself were damaged.

US President Donald Trump said Iran was likely behind the attack on Saudi Arabia that shut down the pipeline, when asked about the incident by a reporter during a visit to Ireland. “I think they are, probably they are,” Trump told journalists in Dublin.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs later released a statement condemning “the attack on the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions by several drones coming from Iraq, which resulted in injuries and some damage that is currently being addressed.”

The Iraqi government put out a statement later Friday condemning the attacks, saying it had ordered an urgent investigation into those responsible and stated it will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for attacks.

This week, oil prices surged past $100 a barrel amid sharp swings driven by events in the Middle East. Aramco did not respond to a request for comment, while the State Department, the White House, and US Central Command declined to comment on the incident.