Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline halted again after fresh attack

Highlights:

• The latest attack damaged a pumping station in Khurais, east of Riyadh
• Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Khurais
• Kpler said pipeline flows were halted from 11 September to 22 September

Oil flows through Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline were halted again after a fresh attack on the infrastructure, according to a source working in the kingdom's energy sector who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) today (5 October).

The latest attack damaged a pumping station in Khurais, east of Riyadh, the source said, bringing the pipeline to a halt again.

"The East-West pipeline was attacked again yesterday," the source said. "A pumping station east of Riyadh in Khurais. It wasn't targeted before. There was big damage and the pipeline stopped again."

The report came a day after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they had targeted sites belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco, including infrastructure in the Khurais area.

The East-West pipeline has been targeted several times since war erupted across the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, shut the pipeline last month after attacks on oil facilities originating in Iraq, where pro-Iran armed groups are based.

The pipeline stretches about 1,200 kilometres (745.65 miles) between Saudi Arabia's main oil fields in the east and the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea.

According to commodity-tracking platform Kpler, flows remained halted from 11 September to 22 September.

The pipeline has become essential to Riyadh's oil exports since Iran began blockading the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the Middle East war, disrupting Saudi Arabia's main export route.

Houthis claim strikes on Aramco sites

The Houthis said on Sunday that they carried out missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais area, east of the capital, causing fires at the targeted sites.

In a video statement posted on X, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out two military operations targeting the company.

He claimed both operations "successfully achieved their objectives," with precise hits causing large fires at the targeted locations.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities or Aramco on the Houthi claim.

Saree said the operations were in response to Saudi attacks. He alleged that the kingdom had carried out 50 airstrikes and missile attacks over the previous 12 hours on Sanaa and the provinces of Al-Jawf, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah and Saada.

He also claimed that Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks had totalled 1,460 since the escalation began, without specifying the starting date for that figure.

Saree threatened further missile and drone attacks on Saudi sites and oil facilities, saying the group's operations would continue until the attacks stopped and what he called a "blockade" on Yemen was lifted.

Yemen announces military operations against Houthis

The Houthi announcement followed Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi's declaration of comprehensive military operations against the group to recapture the remaining territory under its control.

Yemen's government has stepped up military operations following the collapse of a 2022 truce in July and a sharp escalation in fighting in September.

The Houthis have also intensified attacks linked to the wider Middle East war, including strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure and moves affecting key shipping routes.

Last week, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen blamed the Houthis for a drone attack on an electricity distribution station in the holy city of Medina.

The coalition said the facility provides power to the Prophet's Mosque. The attack knocked one transformer out of service but did not affect the wider electricity grid.

The Houthis denied involvement in that attack.