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Saudi Arabia halts crude oil shipments to Europe
The gist
Saudi Aramco told at least two European refiners they will receive no crude oil in October.
The halt follows a drone attack that shut the East-West pipeline, squeezing Europe's supply.
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2026A drone attack hit Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline; satellite imagery later identified damage at three pumping stations, one more than initially assessed.
- Sep 13, 2026Saudi Arabia began reducing crude shipments to Europe after the attacks shut the East-West pipeline.
- Sep 15, 2026Reuters reported the attack, which Saudi Arabia attributed to Iraqi militias, forced the kingdom to shut down the East-West desert pipeline since Friday of the previous week.