Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Key Oil Pipeline After Drone Attacks from Iraq
15 sources across 11 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Der Spiegel
- Sueddeutsche Zeitung
- Frankfurter Allgemeine
- Scroll.in
- The Indian Express
- Haaretz
- The Times of Israel
- The Daily Star
- South China Morning Post
- The Jakarta Post
- Corriere della Sera
- Dawn
- Al Jazeera
- Reuters
- Al-Monitor
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its East-West oil pipeline as a precautionary measure after the conduit was targeted by multiple drones launched from Iraq. The Saudi foreign ministry reported that the attacks occurred in the Riyadh and Medina regions, resulting in injuries and material damage. Satellite images showed black smoke rising from the pipeline route south of Medina. The 1,200 kilometer pipeline is critical to Saudi exports because it allows the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has slowed significantly due to the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. The line has recently moved between 4 million and 5 million barrels per day, representing approximately 4 to 5 percent of the global oil supply.
Iraq has condemned the attacks and confirmed they originated from the southern province of Maysan. In response, the Iraqi government dismissed a military commander who led operations in that province and ordered an investigative council to probe the command. Iraq also ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran as a precaution while a wide scale operation is underway to find the perpetrators. Saudi Arabia stated it has chosen not to retaliate at this stage following a request from the Iraqi prime minister, though it reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its security and sovereignty.
The pipeline attack coincides with a strategic advance by Iran aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. Reports indicate that Houthi forces have seized the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and captured the port city of Mokha. These developments, combined with the pipeline closure and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, have put pressure on global energy supplies and pushed oil prices back above 100 dollars per barrel. The Gulf Cooperation Council described the situation as a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of Saudi Arabia.
How each side framed it
- Left
- These outlets provided more historical context on the start of the West Asia war and the role of US and Israeli military actions in the region.
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the broader regional conflict and the Houthi seizure of the Red Sea coast as a primary driver of the energy squeeze.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the logistical impact on global oil supplies and the strategic necessity of the pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the specific origins of the drones in Iraq and the diplomatic requests made by Baghdad to prevent Saudi retaliation.
Sources
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Iran war live: Houthis control Red Sea coast, Saudi pipeline shut down
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Satellite image shows critical Saudi pipeline damaged in drone attack
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Saudi Arabia says East-West pipeline hit by drones launched from Iraq
- Centre Al-Monitor: Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
- Centre Al-Monitor: Saudi Arabia says drones launched from Iraq hit East-West pipeline, holds off on retaliation
- Centre Al-Monitor: Iraq orders closure of Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran, two sources say
- Centre-right Corriere della Sera: USA-Iran war, live news | The Houthis control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Attack on the East-West pipeline in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh accuses: "The drones departed from Iraq"
- Centre-left Dawn: Saudi Arabia says Iraqi drones forced temporary closure of crucial oil pipeline
- Centre-left Der Spiegel: Saudi Arabia: Damage after attacks, important East-West pipeline shut down
- Centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine: Live Blog Iran War: Saudi Arabia closes important east west pipeline after attacks
- Left Haaretz: Saudi Arabia says East-West oil pipeline attacked by drones from Iraq
- Centre Reuters: Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping - Reuters
- Left Scroll.in: West Asia war: Saudi Arabia says key oil pipeline hit by drones launched from Iraq
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: Saudi pipeline that bypasses Hormuz shut after attacks
- Centre-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung: News blog on the Middle East war: Iraq reacts after attack on Saudi oil pipeline
- Centre The Daily Star: Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
- Centre The Indian Express: Saudi Arabia shut down East-West pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
- Centre-left The Jakarta Post: Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
- Centre The Times of Israel: Saudi Arabia shutters major oil pipeline struck by drones from Iraq
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.