
Common ground and differences in coverage across the media analysed.
Saudi Arabia has closed its East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after drone attacks, which has caused crude oil to rise above $100 a barrel.
The East-West pipeline, 1,200 kilometres long, was transporting between 4 and 5 million barrels per day in recent months, accounting for 4 to 5% of the world's oil supply.
Baghdad confirmed on Saturday that the drones were launched from Iraqi territory, from the province of Maysan, and dismissed the military commander in charge of this sector.
The press diverges on the author of the attack: some relay the American accusation targeting Iran via Iraqi groups, while the Iranian press denies any involvement and the Russian press highlights a competing Houthi claim without taking a stance.
Coverage aligned with this reading
Qatar and Pakistan welcome the Saudi decision not to retaliate as proof of diplomatic responsibility, when other countries place it in a climate of risk of regional escalation linked to the Houthi advance towards Bab el-Mandeb.
Coverage aligned with this reading
Coverage that diverges
The American and Indian press relay Donald Trump's accusation designating Iran, while the Saudi and Qatari statements avoid naming Iran as the mastermind of the attack.
Coverage aligned with this reading
Coverage that diverges
This grouping describes the publications analysed, not the position of these countries’ populations or of their governments.
What the coverage of each country leaves aside, while others put it forward.
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Preview: 3 of 20 media perspectives. Syntheses of the media analysed — not direct quotations. Method & limitations
Doha condemns "in the strongest terms" the targeting of the East-West pipeline and welcomes the restraint shown by Riyadh towards Baghdad, placing the crisis on the diplomatic rather than military terrain.
2 sources · View sources
Berlin is first measuring the impact on pump prices: the closure of the Saudi pipeline is reviving the German budget debate, between Die Linke's call for an emergency plan and fear of a new surge in crude oil prices.
3 sources · View sources
Madrid is quantifying the oil shock: the Spanish press first notes the closure of the only alternative oil pipeline to Hormuz and the surge in the barrel price beyond $107, more so than the question of the origin of the drones.
2 sources · View sources
DOMINANT ANGLE
Doha condemns "in the strongest terms" the targeting of the East-West pipeline and welcomes the restraint shown by Riyadh towards Baghdad, placing the crisis on the diplomatic rather than military terrain.
ANALYSIS
Doha, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Berlin is first measuring the impact on pump prices: the closure of the Saudi pipeline is reviving the German budget debate, between Die Linke's call for an emergency plan and fear of a new surge in crude oil prices.
ANALYSIS
Berlin, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Madrid is quantifying the oil shock: the Spanish press first notes the closure of the only alternative oil pipeline to Hormuz and the surge in the barrel price beyond $107, more so than the question of the origin of the drones.
ANALYSIS
Madrid, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Paris is gauging the extent of the blow dealt to Saudi exports, caught between the closure of the Petroline and the lockdown of the Bab Al-Mandab strait by the Houthists.
ANALYSIS
Paris, Sunday, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Buenos Aires sees the shutdown of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline as a market shock rather than a regional diplomatic episode.
ANALYSIS
Buenos Aires, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Canberra is gauging the oil shockwave rather than just the military battle: the closure of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline and the capture of Perim Island by the Houthis have almost simultaneously shut off the two major bypass routes around the Gulf.
ANALYSIS
Canberra, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Dhaka is watching the surge in crude oil prices and the simultaneous tightening of the Middle East's two maritime routes, fearing a heavier energy bill for an economy that largely relies on imports.
ANALYSIS
Dhaka, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Ottawa is measuring the risk of regional escalation posed by the drone strike on the Saudi oil pipeline, tightened by the Houthi advance in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
ANALYSIS
Ottawa, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Accra is measuring the impact of the closure of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline on an already strained oil market due to the war in the Red Sea, fearing a lasting surge in prices for West African importing economies.
ANALYSIS
Accra, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
New Delhi weighs the risk of a barrel permanently above $100, as the closure of the Saudi pipeline deprives Riyadh of its last bypass route around the Strait of Hormuz.
ANALYSIS
New Delhi, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Tehran denies any involvement in the drone attack on the Saudi oil pipeline and denounces an American accusation without evidence, instead pointing to the Yemeni front opened by the allied forces of Sanaa.
ANALYSIS
Tehran, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Rome views the closure of the oil pipeline as the first economic bill stemming from the dual pressure exerted by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and the Houthi advance on Bab el-Mandeb, rather than just a simple military episode.
ANALYSIS
Rome, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Manila is first feeling the weight of the bill: the closure of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline and the barrel exceeding $100 again threaten a country that imports almost all of its oil.
ANALYSIS
Manille, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad strongly condemns the drone attacks on the Saudi East-West oil pipeline and reaffirms its solidarity with Riyadh, making the defense of the kingdom's sovereignty a stated diplomatic priority.
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, Sunday, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Bucharest is measuring the energy shockwave of the attack on the Saudi oil pipeline, fearing a tougher winter for a Europe already weakened by the gas crisis in Qatar.
ANALYSIS
Bucharest, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow is distancing the Houthi claim from the accusation of drones being fired from Iraq, a divergence in versions that RT and TASS are highlighting without taking a stance.
ANALYSIS
Moscow, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Riyadhh is showing calculated restraint: after the closure of its East-West oil pipeline targeted by drones launched from Iraq, the kingdom has chosen not to retaliate, allowing Baghdad to take action and highlighting the massive support of the Arabo-Muslim world.
ANALYSIS
Riyadh, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Singapore gauges the closure of the East-West oil pipeline in light of its own vulnerability as an oil hub, as the last bypass around the Strait of Hormuz also falls to drones.
ANALYSIS
Singapour, 13 September 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States is gauging the Saudi crisis by the barrel: the closure of the East-West oil pipeline is first and foremost seen as a shock to American oil and diesel prices, rather than a matter of drones and militias.
ANALYSIS
Washington, September 13, 2026.
DOMINANT ANGLE
Pretoria is already calculating the energy bill for a Saudi crisis that adds to six months of Iran-United States war, with the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait under Houthi threat.
ANALYSIS
Johannesburg, September 13, 2026.
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Saudi Arabia has closed its East-West oil pipeline as a precaution, a 1,200-kilometre pipeline that connects the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, and which has been transporting between 4 and 5 million barrels per day in recent months, after drone attacks on the night of Friday, September 11, to Saturday, September 12, 2026, which triggered fires. Baghdad confirmed on Saturday that the drones had been launched from its territory, dismissed two officials, and closed border posts with Iran. The barrel of crude oil has risen back above $100. Riyadh announced that it does not want to retaliate, while Donald Trump judged Iran probably responsible for the attack.
The origin of the drones remains disputed: the targeted Iraqi groups deny it, Riyadh has not designated an author, and Baghdad sets September 30 as the deadline for non-state armed groups to disarm.
The Houthis seized Perim Island on Friday, closing the other Saudi bypass route.
Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Egypt have condemned the attack and expressed their solidarity with Riyadh.
The accused militias deny any involvement, stating they would be proud if it were the case.
It had already fallen in August to 6 million barrels/day, its lowest level in 30 years.
More divergent than 30% of recent comparable stories (reference: 91 recent stories measured with the same method).