Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its East-West oil pipeline after drones launched from Iraq caused damage and injuries, according to statements by Saudi officials on Friday. Satellite images showed smoke near Medina along the pipeline route. The Iraqi government confirmed the attack but dismissed the commander responsible for it in southern Maysan province, while condemning attacks against neighboring countries. Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, and the Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the incident, viewing it as a security threat.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 12, drones launched from Iraq attacked the East-West crude oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, shutting it down temporarily. The pipeline, spanning 745 miles, is a crucial alternative route for Saudi oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 20% of global oil shipments. The incident caused injuries and material damage, though no immediate retaliation was announced by Saudi Arabia due to diplomatic pressure from Iraq's Prime Minister.
The Iraqi government dismissed a military commander in Maysan province near the border with Iran as part of their investigation into the attack. This event escalates tensions amid ongoing conflicts between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi forces in Yemen, where the Houthis recently seized an island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which 12% of global trade passes.
US President Donald Trump speculated that Iran was likely behind the drone attacks on the pipeline. The attack highlights growing concerns over security threats to critical infrastructure within the region and their potential impact on global energy prices and supply chains.
Written for “Iraq Saudi Pipeline Attacks” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 147 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 8218 · logged 2026-09-12
Saudi authorities said on Friday drones launched from Iraq led to the temporary closure of a crucial oil export route used to bypass the lockdown of the Strait of Hormuz.
asserted
drones → say → Hormuz
Riyadh has increased its use of the East-West pipeline, which links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, since the start of the Middle East war to bypass the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.
asserted
which → increase → Iran
The Saudi foreign ministry condemned “the targeting of the East–West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions by several drones coming from Iraq, which caused human injuries and damage”.
asserted
which → condemn → injuries
“The pipeline was stopped as a precaution, and the attacks resulted in some injuries,” an energy ministry official told the SPA news agency earlier.
asserted
official → stop → agency
Satellite images from Copernicus Sentinel Data taken on Thursday showed black smoke billowing near Madina, along the general route of the East-West pipeline that carries Saudi oil to its Red Sea coast.
asserted
that → take → coast
The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed the attack originated from Iraqi territory and said on X that the commander in charge of the southern province of Maysan had been dismissed.
asserted
commander → confirm → Maysan
The Iraqi government said it condemned “the attacks targeting our brethren in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia originated from a location within the governorate”.
asserted
attacks → say → governorate
Riyadh said that, at the Iraqi prime minister’s request, it had chosen “not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government … to prevent attacks launched from Iraq against the Kingdom and neighbouring countries”.
asserted
it → say → Kingdom
Riyadh previously accused Iraqi militias of targeting its oil infrastructure.
But it stressed that the kingdom “reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities,” and its people.
asserted
kingdom → accuse → sovereignty
Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar also condemned the attack on the Saudi pipeline, while the Gulf Cooperation Council denounced “a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom”.
Oil prices have climbed past $100 a barrel this week, while average US diesel prices topped $6 for the first time on Friday — a potential headache for President Donald Trump ahead of midterm elections.
Houthi rebels announced a maritime blockade in July against Saudi Arabia — which supports the Yemeni government — attacking its oil tankers in the Red Sea.
asserted
which → condemn → Sea
By taking control of the Yemeni Red Sea coast and the islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, the Houthis consolidated their grip on the strategic passage linking Europe and Asia.
asserted
Houthis → take → Europe
Navigation through the Bab el-Mandab Strait was “safe” for all but Saudi Arabia following the latest advances, the Houthis said.
asserted
Houthis → follow → advances
Pakistan condemns attack on pipeline
asserted
Pakistan → condemn → pipeline
Separately, the Foreign Office (FO) issued a statement condemning the “reprehensible drone attacks” on the pipeline.
asserted
Office → issue → pipeline
“These attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure are a flagrant violation of the international law as well as sovereignty and territorial integrity of the brotherly kingdom of Saudi Arabia and pose a serious threat to regional peace, security and stability,” the FO said.
asserted
FO → pose → peace
“Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity of the kingdom, and reiterates its solidarity with the leadership, government and brotherly people of Saudi Arabia,” it said.
asserted
it → reaffirm → Arabia
“Pakistan has been and will continue to make earnest efforts for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region,” the statement concluded.
asserted
statement → continue → region
In August, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed a defence pact, aiming to strengthen collective deterrence and empowering its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.
asserted
Pakistan → sign → them
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif cautioned that agreement could become operational if there was a “spillover” of the conflict in Yemen into Saudi Arabia.
uncertain
agreement → caution → Arabia
The FO, however, said on Thursday rejected speculation that Pakistan was considering joining Saudi Arabia in military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, saying the newly signed was still being firmed up and should not yet be viewed in terms of its operationalisation.
asserted
signed → say → operationalisation
