Saudi Arabia suspended its vital East-West oil pipeline on September 12, 2026, following a drone strike originating from Iraq, while Houthi projectile attacks in Jazan wounded two civilians and damaged a mosque amid a sharp escalation across the Red Sea.
Pipeline Shutdown and the Iraq Connection
Saudi Arabia shut down its East-West pipeline after the vital conduit came under aerial attack. The 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) pipeline runs across the Arabian Peninsula and has served as the main route out for global supplies of Middle East oil for the past six months while the Strait of Hormuz has been largely shut by war.
The world’s largest crude oil exporter temporarily closed the pipeline as a precaution following a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said had originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. The pipeline had been moving 4 million to 5 million barrels per day, amounting to 4% to 5% of global supply, sparing Saudi Arabia the brunt of the disruption that has crippled other Gulf oil and gas exporters. Satellite images showed black smoke rising from an area of the pipeline south of Medina, according to the reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting Ireland to attend a golf tournament at one of his resorts, told reporters that Iran was probably responsible for the attack on the oil conduit.
Civilian Impact in Jazan and Regional Red Sea Fighting
While energy infrastructure absorbed strikes from the north, ground and projectile fire pressed against Saudi Arabia’s southern border. Saudi Civil Defence reported that two people were wounded and a mosque and several buildings were damaged after a projectile fired by Yemeni Houthi rebels struck the southern Jazan region. Several vehicles were also damaged in Jazan’s al-Tuwal governorate.
A civil defence spokesperson called the targeting of civilian objects a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law
and confirmed established emergency procedures were implemented. The Houthis claimed their attack targeted a Saudi military base in Sharurah in the southern Najran province, while Saudi Civil Defence later stated the danger had passed in the Khamis Mushait governorate.
The strikes form part of a rapid escalation in Yemen’s long-running conflict, which reignited in July after roughly four years of relative calm under a United Nations-brokered truce. Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, warned the UN Security Council that the international community faces a new and more dangerous phase
of the war as Houthi fighters seize control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast and capture the strategic port city of Mocha and the island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Energy Market Pressures and Washington’s Dilemma
The convergence of pipeline closures and Houthi shipping interdictions sent shockwaves through energy markets. Oil prices soared, and the retail price of diesel in the United States surged past a record $6 a gallon.
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, phoned President Trump and asked for U.S. military help fighting the Houthis. Three sources told Reuters that the prince was told Washington would not intervene directly for now but would help with intelligence.
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Balancing Act
The flare-up has also tested regional defense arrangements. Pakistan, which signed a mutual defense alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkey last month, found itself pressured to mediate.
“Pakistan is trying to keep a low profile in the Saudi-Houthi conflict because Pakistan’s own stakes are high,” a second Pakistani government official told Reuters. “It does not want to spoil relations with Iran.”
Second Pakistani government official
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