Saudi Arabia shut down East-West crude oil pipeline after multiple attacks

Saudi Arabia shut down its crucial East-West crude oil pipeline as a precautionary measure after multiple attacks, the kingdom's Energy Ministry said Friday in a statement.

The pipeline was targeted in the Riyadh and Madinah regions on Thursday morning, the ministry said. Multiple people were injured in the attacks, it said.

Emergency teams were deployed to secure the pipeline and assess its safety, the ministry said. "Any further developments will be announced in due course," it said.

The Saudis have relied on the East-West pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. Riyadh has redirected millions of barrels of crude oil exports per day through the pipeline to the Red Sea.

The Saudis did not say who was behind the attacks or whether the pipeline suffered significant damage. However, Iran-allied Houthi militants in Yemen have escalated strikes on Saudi Arabia this week.

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