Oil pipeline hit by drones launched from Iraq, says Saudi Arabia

A satellite image showing black smoke rising in the vicinity of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline on Sept 10.

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia on Sept 11 said drones launched from Iraq hit the East–West pipeline and led to its closure.

The 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”.

“The pipeline was stopped as a precaution, and the attacks resulted in some injuries,” an energy ministry official told the SPA news agency earlier.

“At the request of the Iraqi prime minister... (Riyadh) has 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,” the foreign ministry said.

But it stressed that Saudi Arabia “reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities,” and its inhabitants.

Saudi said the attacks that occurred on the morning of Sept 10 had left several people wounded.

Since the start of the war in the Middle East, Riyadh has increased its use of this pipeline, which links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, in order to bypass the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. AFP