Bangladesh

Dhaka, September 13, 2026. For Bangladesh, a net crude oil importer whose economy remains vulnerable to energy shocks, the closure of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline confirms the fragility of the global supply system after six months of war between the United States and Iran. Local media reports that Riyadh has closed, as a precaution, this 1,200-kilometer pipeline that still transports between 4 and 5 million barrels per day, or 4% to 5% of global supply, after a drone attack on Friday night. The pipeline allowed Saudi Arabia to bypass the congestion in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil traffic has slowed due to the US-Iranian confrontation.

For Dhaka, whose energy import bill already weighs on the trade balance, the rise in the barrel price above $100 announces additional pressure on domestic fuel and electricity prices. Local media notes that the retail price of diesel has already exceeded a record of $6 per gallon in the United States, a sign of inflationary contagion that could also affect importing economies in South Asia.

On the political front, Bangladeshi coverage notes that Baghdad confirmed on Saturday that the drones were launched from Iraqi territory, resulting in the dismissal of the military commander and police chief of the Maysan province, on the Iranian border, and the closure of the main local border post. The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of militias supported by Iran, denied any involvement. Riyadh indicated that it will not retaliate, preferring to "give Baghdad the opportunity to take necessary measures." Donald Trump judged Tehran "probably" responsible.

Bangladeshi media links this episode to the capture, on Friday, of the strategic island of Perim by Houthi rebels at the entrance to the Red Sea, a double shock that simultaneously closes the two maritime routes bypassing the Gulf. For a country whose trade depends on Middle Eastern maritime routes, this combined tightening of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb fuels concern about a lasting increase in freight and energy costs, without any diplomatic solution emerging at this stage.