Saudi Arabia halts East-West crude pipeline after strikes wound workers

Military strikes on the East-West crude pipeline spanning Riyadh and Madinah regions wounded workers and forced Saudi Arabia to halt pumping on Thursday, the Energy Ministry said.

• The Energy Ministry said military strikes hit the East-West crude pipeline across Riyadh and Madinah regions on Thursday morning, causing injuries among workers.
• Saudi Arabia halted pumping through the line as a precaution to control damage and assess operational safety, the ministry said.
• Emergency and technical teams from the ministry and Aramco began field response, and officials said they would announce further developments when available.
• Days earlier, Gulf, Arab, and European states condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi cities that authorities said wounded 73 civilians and caused fires at energy installations.

Latest developments

• Sep 11 — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has dismissed a senior security official in Maysan province and ordered an investigation after attacks on Saudi Arabia were confirmed to have originated from Iraqi territory.
• Sep 12 — Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said the drone attacks that hit the East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions originated from Iraq and struck on September 10, causing injuries and material damage.
• Sep 12 — The East-West line, operated by Aramco, spans 1,200 kilometers from Buqyaq to Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, with a capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and transports crude only.