LatestInOn the record
TRACKING 70860 EVENTS · 25162 SOURCES
Storyline

Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline drone attacks 2026

One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.

11 DAYS
258 FACTS
20 EVENTS
25 SOURCES
FIRST ENTRY SEP 11
SEP 21 · Day 11

Saudi East-West pipeline shutdown and impact on Asian crude importers

Chokwai Lee told CNBC that the biggest near-term impact is likely to be on oil prices and freight costs rather than physical availability.

Oriano Lizza identified widening premiums for medium-sour grades and higher delivered freight costs as the first signs of stress.

Saudi crude accounted for 27.3% of imports into Japan, according to government data.

SEP 17 · Day 7

Tracking Saudi Arabia's alternative oil routes

Houthi forces declared a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, prohibiting vessels from loading or discharging cargo at Saudi ports.

Saudi Arabia's crude and petroleum products sales accounted for more than half of government revenues, generating 606.5 billion riyals ($162bn) in 2025.

UBS Research forecasts Saudi Arabia's 2026 budget deficit reaching 5 percent of gross domestic product against an original target of 3.3 percent.

SEP 17 · Day 7

Oil extends losses as Saudi Arabia offers ship-to-ship crude transfers

Brent futures were slightly lower at $105.81 per barrel, and U.S. crude oil was down 0.22% at $102.14 a barrel.

Crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu were halted and Riyadh canceled some shipments to European customers earlier this week.

Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com, said Saudi Arabia's efforts to find alternative export routes following the disruption at Yanbu have reassured markets that some lost crude supply could return.

SEP 16 · Day 6

Attacks on Saudi oil expose Iraqi PM's struggle to control armed factions

The US and Saudi Arabia retaliated with strikes that killed more than 20 members of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces, including Iranian military advisers.

Zaidi ordered Iraqi banks to enforce US sanctions on Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Iraqi security forces identified launch traces near the Duwayrij River in Maysan province's al-Tayeb border area on Saturday.

SEP 16 · Day 6

Saudi Arabia cancels oil to Europe over East-West pipeline blast

The cancellation of oil deliveries caused global panic.

Drone attacks shut down Saudi Arabia's key export pipeline to the Red Sea.

Buyers rushed to find alternative oil supplies after the cancellation.

SEP 16 · Day 6

Oil falls as US crude inventories rise and traders weigh Saudi pipeline closure

Joseph Dahrieh, managing director at brokerage Tickmill, said crude is likely to remain closely tied to security conditions along Gulf export routes and the pace of repairs to Saudi infrastructure.

Brent crude for November delivery dropped 1.02% to $107.64 a barrel.

U.S. crude oil, gasoline and distillate inventories all rose last week, according to Reuters citing sources for API data.

SEP 15 · Day 5

Oil prices rise following Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia

Iran's military said it destroyed an advanced American drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the U.S. could continue its campaign against Iran and take control of its oil.

Komal Sri-Kumar, the president of Sri-Kumar Global Strategies, said on CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" that inflation is going to pick up because oil pipelines are being attacked and the Saudi east west pipeline is closed.

SEP 15 · Day 5

Oil safety net fraying as Saudi Arabia races to restart key pipeline

Janiv Shah of Rystad Energy said the market still expects Saudi inventories to cushion exports in the near term but disruption beyond five-to-seven days could change that quickly.

Laura James of Oxford Analytica said the damage to the pipeline appears more serious than the previous attack, which took only a few days to restart.

Saudi Arabia closed the East-West pipeline following multiple drone attacks launched from Iraq.

SEP 15 · Day 5

US Energy secretary says Saudi pipeline closure will last days

Chris Wright said Iran-backed proxy groups are responsible for the strikes.

Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, said it will take months to repair the pipeline based on online pictures.

Riyadh has relied on the pipeline to shift crude oil exports to the Red Sea as the U.S. and Iran battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.

SEP 14 · Day 4

Satellite images show damage to Saudi oil pipeline bypassing Hormuz

The East-West pipeline is estimated to have a total design capacity of 7 million barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia temporarily closed the roughly 750-mile pipeline system as a precautionary measure following multiple drone attacks launched from Iraq.

The Saudi government said several people were injured in the attacks.

SEP 14 · Day 4

First Thing roundup: oil prices surge on Saudi Arabia attacks

Donald Trump said he believed Tehran was responsible for the attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Iraq's government confirmed the attacks were launched from its territory and ordered an investigation.

The Red Sea port of Yanbu has stocks to maintain exports for just five to seven days.

SEP 14 · Day 4

Brent crude tops $108 after Saudi Arabia shuts pipeline bypassing Strait of Hormuz

Drones launched from Iraq damaged the East-West pipeline on Thursday.

Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the regional meeting set for tomorrow in Salalah has been postponed.

Crude oil loaded for export at Saudi's Red Sea port of Yanbu averaged 2.6 million bpd over the last seven days, according to Rystad's Janiv Shah.

SEP 14 · Day 4

Damage to Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline revealed

The UN Refugee Agency said more than 100,000 people have been internally displaced by the renewed conflict.

Experts from Kpler said the pipeline's closure could reduce oil supplies by as much as 3.6 million barrels per day.

The Saudi government accused Iranian-backed militias in Iraq of the pipeline strike.

SEP 13 · Day 3

Iraq seizes drone-launching platform used for targeting Saudi oil pipeline

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi reshuffled military commanders in border regions, including Maysan province, in the wake of the attack.

Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq's Security Media Cell, announced the seizure in a statement published by the state-run Iraqi News Agency on Saturday.

Saad Maan said Iraq's commander-in-chief approved an Iranian request to join the investigation and review its findings.

SEP 13 · Day 3

Iraq seizes drone-launching platform targeting Saudi oil pipeline

Saad Maan said Baghdad is maintaining direct communication with Saudi authorities to share intelligence.

Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq's Security Media Cell, announced the seizure in a statement published by the state-run Iraqi News Agency on Saturday.

Iraqi authorities temporarily closed several border crossings with Iran, including Shalamcheh, Chazabeh and Mandali, for security inspections before partially reopening them for humanitarian traffic.

“Iraq adopts the principle of ‘preventive sovereignty’, which means not only preventing attacks on our territory, but also not allowing our land to be a launching pad against any other country, or for Iraq to be part of a proxy war,”
SAAD MAAN verbatim
SEP 12 · Day 2

Baghdad confirms attack on Saudi pipeline originated from Iraq

Baghdad has set a September 30 deadline for disarmament of Iran-aligned Shiite armed groups.

The Popular Mobilization Forces denied any involvement in the attacks.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Saudi pipeline.

“now finds itself in a much more difficult position because it gambled that the blockade of Iran would force Iran to accept Trump’s conditions,”
FAWAZ GERGES verbatim
SEP 12 · Day 2

Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline hit by drones launched from Iraq

Iraq condemned the attack and affirmed its rejection of any aggression threatening Saudi Arabia's security and stability.

Saudi Arabia said it would reserve the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical facilities.

The pipeline was targeted in the Riyadh and Medina areas by several drones originating from Iraq, resulting in injuries and material damage.

SEP 11 · Day 1

Saudi Arabia oil pipeline hit by drone/projectile attack

The closed border crossings were Shalamcheh, al-Shib, and Mandali.

Houthi fighters seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the military commander of Maysan province following the attack.

SEP 11 · Day 1

Saudi Arabia says East-West pipeline hit by drones launched from Iraq

An official from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy told SPA that the pipeline had been temporarily shut as a precaution and the attacks resulted in some injuries.

Saudi Arabia has increasingly used the East-West pipeline route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran's ongoing closure of the strategic waterway.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the pipeline was targeted in the Riyadh and Medina areas by several drones originating from Iraq, resulting in injuries and material damage.

“At the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister to allow the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and neighbouring countries, the Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,”
SEP 11 · Day 1

Saudi Arabia shuts down East-West crude oil pipeline after multiple attacks

The Saudi Energy Ministry said any further developments will be announced in due course.

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said last month that the 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.

The Saudi Energy Ministry said multiple people were injured in the attacks.

Quote copied with attribution