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.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Houthis have reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to four Yemeni government sources cited by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- 02
The East-West Saudi oil pipeline was shut down after a drone attack launched from Iraq; the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the targeting of the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions
- 03
An Iraqi military commander was fired on Saturday after investigations confirmed the launch of drones from Iraqi territory, according to ABC News
ANALYSIS
Canberra, September 13, 2026. For the Australian press, the closure of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline is part of a crisis that has almost simultaneously closed the two major bypass routes around the Gulf. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age report that Houthi rebels, allies of Iran, have reached the strategic island of Perim, in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to four Yemeni government sources, while Riyadh-backed forces have also withdrawn from the coastal city of Dhubab, opposite the island. At the same time, the East-West oil pipeline, which "helped to relieve the congestion in the Ormuz strait", was closed after a drone attack launched from Iraq, according to Saudi officials cited by the two titles.
This double closure is worrying maritime transport analysts: "These waters are not safe", summarizes Michelle Wiese Bockmann, from the maritime intelligence company Windward, quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. The newspaper recalls that if the Houthis were to control Bab el-Mandeb durably, their Iranian patron would gain a decisive advantage in their war against the United States, reducing access to a second major corridor and driving prices up. Since the beginning of the conflict at the end of February, at least 22 sailors have been killed at sea, according to the New York Times relayed by the Australian press.
ABC News details the Saudi version: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the targeting of the oil pipeline "in the regions of Riyadh and Medina by several drones from Iraq", causing injuries and damage, a closure presented as a precautionary measure after the attacks that occurred on Friday. Riyadh says it has chosen not to respond, at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister, while reserving "the right to take all necessary measures" for its sovereignty. Baghdad condemned the attack and dismissed a military commander on Saturday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in India, retorted: "We don't need a regional policeman." Riyadh has also reportedly requested military aid from Washington, as the rise in fuel prices weighs on Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm elections. Iran is to meet with Gulf States in Oman on Monday to discuss the Ormuz strait.
