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.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The East-West pipeline, 1,200 km between the Eastern Province and Yanbu, has a capacity of 7 million barrels per day, of which around 5 million are exportable (TASS)
- 02
The Houthi movement Ansar Allah claimed the attack, while US intelligence sources mention drones fired from Iraq by pro-Iranian groups (TASS)
- 03
Riyadh has refrained from retaliating at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, while reserving the right to protect its sovereignty and economic facilities (TASS)
ANALYSIS
Moscow, September 13, 2026. Russian media is reporting an attack with competing versions. RT and TASS report that the Saudi East-West oil pipeline, a 1,200-kilometer pipeline that transports crude oil from the Eastern Province to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, was hit by several drones on Thursday in the regions of Riyadh and Medina. "The East-West pipeline was attacked by several drones launched from Iraq, resulting in casualties," the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, as quoted by TASS. The Ministry of Energy mentioned "injuries" and a precautionary shutdown of the affected pumps, with emergency teams dispatched to secure the facility.
But the origin of the attack remains disputed in the Russian account. The Yemeni Houthi movement Ansar Allah claimed responsibility for the operation, TASS notes, while US intelligence sources do not rule out drone strikes launched from Iraq by pro-Iranian groups. RT, on the other hand, places the episode "in the context of the American-Iranian war" and cites US officials mentioning, according to CNN, at least two pumping stations being hit, with satellite images showing a plume of smoke stretching over 100 kilometers across the desert.
Riyadh has chosen restraint. According to TASS, the kingdom has decided not to respond to the "armed incursion" at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, to support his efforts to stabilize the country. The Saudi statement, however, specifies that the kingdom "reserves the right to take all measures to protect its sovereignty, national security, and economic facilities".
The pipeline, with a maximum capacity of 7 million barrels per day, of which around 5 million are available for export after supplying western refineries, remains shut down on several sections, with no announced restart date. Neither RT nor TASS mentions Iraqi confirmation of the drone strikes or any measures taken by Baghdad, with Russian media preferring to relay the Saudi and Houthi versions side by side without arbitrating between them.
