DOMINANT ANGLE
Buenos Aires sees the shutdown of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline as a market shock rather than a regional diplomatic episode.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to Ámbito, the East-West pipeline can transport up to 7 million barrels per day to the Red Sea and had reached its maximum usage level.
- 02
Infobae estimates that around 5 million barrels per day of crude oil have been diverted through this pipeline since the start of the war between the United States and Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
- 03
The Saudi Ministry of Energy announced a precautionary shutdown after attacks occurred Thursday morning in the Riyadh and Medina regions, leaving several injured, with the number of casualties not specified.
ANALYSIS
Buenos Aires, September 13, 2026. In Buenos Aires, the shutdown of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline is seen primarily through the lens of the oil market, rather than as a regional diplomatic episode. According to Ámbito, Saudi Arabia has temporarily closed this infrastructure, deemed "fundamental" for supporting its crude oil exports in the face of navigation difficulties in the Strait of Hormuz, after several points on the network were attacked on Thursday. The media outlet emphasizes that the pipeline "can transport up to 7 million barrels daily to the Red Sea" and had reached its maximum utilization level.
Infobae reports that the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced a "preventive" shutdown after attacks occurred on Thursday morning in the regions of Riyadh and Medina. The ministry indicates that the incidents resulted in several injuries, all of whom were taken for medical treatment, and that technical teams and emergency units were immediately deployed to check the status and security of the infrastructure, in coordination with the relevant agencies. The ministry promised to inform "in due time" of any developments.
Both articles stress the growing role of this pipeline since the start of the war between the United States and Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz: Infobae estimates that around five million barrels per day are being diverted through this route, which connects the oil fields in the east of the kingdom to the export terminal in Yanbu, on the Red Sea, thus avoiding the passage through the Persian Gulf.
Neither of the two articles names the author or country of origin of the attacks: the Argentine account remains focused on the infrastructure, volumes, and consequences for global supply, without developing the regional diplomatic dimension that dominates elsewhere. This reading reflects a more economic than geopolitical concern in the face of a shock perceived as new pressure on a market already weakened by the escalation in the Middle East.
