Attack on Saudi East-West Pipeline Causes Limited Fire
Saudi Arabia reported an attack on its East-West oil pipeline in the Medina region that caused a limited fire but did not disrupt operations.
An attack targeted the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Energy's East-West oil pipeline in the Medina region on November 9, 2026. The incident caused a limited fire that was quickly extinguished, resulting in no injuries or fatalities.
Saudi Aramco, which operates the pipeline, confirmed that operations remained unaffected. The 1,200km pipeline is a critical piece of global energy infrastructure, rerouting approximately 4 million barrels of crude per day—about 4 percent of the global supply—to Yanbu. This route allows Riyadh to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently constricted due to the US-Israel war on Iran.
While the Saudi government did not identify the perpetrators, the attack occurs amid intensifying conflict between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have previously targeted Saudi oil infrastructure with drones and missiles.
