Houthis captured Mokha, Saudi Arabia shut down oil pipeline after drone attacks
Houthis captured the port of Mokha and an island in the Red Sea, increasing the threat to Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia halted the East-West pipeline after drone attacks launched from Iraq. Saudi oil exports to Asia fell by roughly half.
Sources
· 7Хуситы захватили Моху и остров в Красном море, Саудовская Аравия закрыла нефтепровод после атак дронов
1Саудовская Аравия заявила об атаке дронов из Ирака на нефтепровод East-West
2Удары дронов поразили насосные станции нефтепровода Саудовской Аравии Восток-Запад
3Экспорт саудовской нефти через Красное море упал на 41%, остался только Суэцкий маршрут
4Саудовская Аравия закрыла нефтепровод Восток-Запад после атак хуситов
5Нефтеперерабатывающий завод Saudi Aramco в Джизане вновь атакован
6Саудовская Аравия нарастила экспорт нефти через Средиземное море на 33% из-за угроз хуситов
7Key points
- Saudi oil exports to Asia dropped by roughly half — from 3 million to 1.5 million barrels per day.
- Satellite images showed significant fire damage at a pumping station near Al-Mesbaa and a fire near Al-Dekra.
- Iraq condemned the attack, and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation.
What happened
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the East-West pipeline was attacked in the Riyadh and Medina areas by several drones launched from Iraq. Satellite images obtained by CNN show significant fire damage at a pumping station near Al-Mesbaa, while another image showed a fire and thick black smoke at a station near Al-Dekra.
Why it matters
The attack threatens a critical oil export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi oil exports to Asia dropped by roughly half — from 3 million barrels per day to 1.5 million. Iraq condemned the attack, and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation; Riyadh said it would not strike back for now at Baghdad's request.
What changed
Earlier, the mimile.kz archive reported that the Saudi Energy Ministry had shut the East-West pipeline as a precaution after attacks by Yemeni Houthis. The new statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry refers to drones launched from Iraq. Before that, crude oil exports from the port of Yanbu fell 41% from the March peak to 2.39 million barrels per day in June. Now Saudi oil exports to Asia have dropped by roughly half — from 3 million to 1.5 million barrels per day.
Previously
- In early September, the Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan was attacked, threatening a major refining hub on the Red Sea.
- Saudi Arabia increased oil exports through the Mediterranean by 33% month-on-month after Houthi threats to shipping in the southern Red Sea.
Related original articles
- 1d agoХуситы захватили Моху и остров в Красном море, Саудовская Аравия закрыла нефтепровод после атак дроновFortune
- 1d agoСаудовская Аравия заявила об атаке дронов из Ирака на нефтепровод East-WestAl Jazeera English
- 2d agoУдары дронов поразили насосные станции нефтепровода Саудовской Аравии Восток-ЗападOilPrice