Saudi Arabia says drones from Iraq hit oil pipeline
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The gist
Saudi Arabia says drones from Iraq hit its East-West pipeline and it is holding off retaliation.
The route is a key export bypass, so the strike touches global oil supply.
Background
The East-West pipeline, built in the 1980s as a bypass to the Strait of Hormuz, runs from Saudi oil fields on the Gulf coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed since the start of the U.S.-Iran war, Saudi Arabia channels around 5 million barrels of oil daily through this overland route, making it indispensable to the kingdom's export strategy. Saudi Arabia has previously accused Iran-backed militias of launching drones from Iraqi territory against its oil infrastructure; in July, Riyadh said drones targeting petroleum facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia and Riyadh had originated in Iraq.
How it unfolded
- Sep 10, 2026Saudi Arabia's official press agency said the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions was subjected to multiple attacks on the morning of Thursday, September 10, 2026.
- Sep 10, 2026CNN, citing two U.S. officials, reported the pipeline system was struck by drones originating from Iraq, with multiple pumping stations hit and fires breaking out.
- Sep 11, 2026Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraq attacked the pipeline but that it would not retaliate for now, following a request from Iraq's prime minister, while reserving the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical facilities.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- A Saudi foreign ministry statement said the kingdom would hold off on retaliation for now following a request from Iraq's prime minister, while reserving the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical facilities.
- Expert
- Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Iran-allied militia groups in Iraq have used drones in the past to attack Saudi Arabia and may have done so again amid a broader Iranian strategy to use proxies to push Arab nations to reject American forces in the region.
Still unverified
Responsibility for the strikes has not been established; one U.S. official said the attack involved drones originating from Iraq, and CNN reported the same citing two U.S. officials, but Saudi Aramco and the Saudi government have not publicly commented on the incident. It was not immediately clear whether sections of the pipeline itself were damaged or how long repairs would take.