Saudi Arabia has halted operations on its crucial East West crude oil pipeline after multiple drones launched from Iraq struck the network in a dramatic escalation of regional attacks.
The kingdom described the shutdown as a precaution while emergency teams inspect the system and secure affected areas.
The drones targeted pipeline infrastructure in the Riyadh and Medina regions on Thursday morning, according to the Saudi government.
The strikes ignited fires, caused damage and injured several people, adding a new layer of danger to an already strained regional energy system.
The Energy Ministry said emergency crews were deployed to contain the fires and determine whether the pipeline could operate safely.
Officials did not disclose the full extent of the damage or provide a timetable for restarting crude movements.
“Any further developments will be announced in due course,” the ministry said.
The limited disclosure left traders assessing whether the closure would be brief or whether repairs could constrain one of Saudi Arabia's most important export routes.
The East West pipeline has become especially valuable as the United States and Iran struggle for control around the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia has used the route to move crude away from Persian Gulf terminals that face mounting security and shipping risks.
With capacity of 7 million barrels per day, the pipeline crosses the kingdom and connects producing areas with export terminals on the Red Sea.
That design allows Saudi crude to reach international customers without passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most sensitive oil transit corridors.
Any extended disruption would weaken a major alternative route at a moment when Gulf shipping faces severe uncertainty.
Even if Saudi Arabia retains other operational options, the shutdown removes a critical measure of flexibility from the kingdom's vast production and export system.
Riyadh said it would refrain from retaliating for the time being, giving Iraq's government an opportunity to prevent further attacks launched from its territory.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry presented that decision as a temporary diplomatic pause rather than an acceptance of continued threats.
The pipeline's importance was highlighted last month by Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser.
He said the East West system had done more to soften oil supply disruption caused by the Iran war than releases from emergency crude reserves.
That assessment helps explain why reports of the attack quickly attracted attention across energy markets.
The pipeline is not merely a domestic transport asset, but a strategic outlet designed to preserve export flows when maritime access through the Gulf becomes dangerous or unreliable.
Oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel this week for the first time in months as fighting intensified across the Middle East.
Rumors about the pipeline strike circulated on Thursday and may have contributed to the rally before Saudi authorities confirmed the shutdown.
Prices ended the week more than 8% higher, reflecting growing anxiety about physical supply, export security and the vulnerability of major energy infrastructure.
Traders are now watching for evidence of lasting damage, further drone launches or delays in restoring pipeline operations.
The attack also follows an increase in strikes against Saudi Arabia by militants allied with Iran.
Houthi forces in Yemen attacked the kingdom earlier in the week, hitting energy installations and other civilian assets, according to Saudi officials.
Those earlier attacks injured more than 70 people, the Saudi government said.
Their scale demonstrated that energy facilities, transport routes and civilian locations remain exposed as armed groups widen their campaigns across the region.
The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in July and have attempted to interfere with the kingdom's oil exports through the Bab el Mandeb Strait.
That waterway links the southern Red Sea with global markets and serves as another essential passage for tankers carrying Middle Eastern crude.
Saudi Arabia now faces pressure around both maritime chokepoints and its main overland export alternative.
The pipeline shutdown therefore represents more than a temporary operational interruption, placing one of the kingdom's most valuable safeguards directly inside an expanding regional conflict.
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