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.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The kingdom ships around 5 million barrels a day through the East-West pipeline to Yanbu, its only alternative to the Strait of Hormuz since the de facto closure of the latter.
- 02
Riyadh has chosen not to retaliate, at the request of the Iraqi prime minister, while reserving the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.
- 03
Baghdad fired the commander of operations in Maysan after establishing that the drones were launched from this southern Iraqi province.
ANALYSIS
Riyadh, September 13, 2026. The kingdom is exercising calculated caution after drone attacks targeted its strategic East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage. The Saudi Ministry of Energy announced on Friday, September 11, 2026, the closure of the pipeline "as a precaution," until technical teams secure the facility and assess its condition according to approved emergency procedures. The scope of this shutdown is significant, as the Saudi press systematically recalls: since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh has been transporting around 5 million barrels per day, normally shipped from the Gulf via this pipeline to the port of Yanbu, on the Red Sea — its only strategic alternative to Hormuz.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the firing of several drones from Iraq, while specifying that "at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister, the kingdom chooses not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government" to prevent Iraqi territory from being used as a base for attacks against the kingdom and its neighbors. Riyadh nonetheless recalls that it reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, facilities, citizens, and residents.
Baghdad, for its part, dismissed the commander of operations in Maysan on Saturday, September 12, 2026, after establishing that the shots came from this southern Iraqi province, and opened an investigation.
The Saudi press emphasizes the extent of the international support received: Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, Turkey, Yemen, and the Arab League have condemned the attack. The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil Fahmy, judged that targeting oil pipelines constitutes a direct threat to regional energy security, while the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Albudaiwi, urged Baghdad to take "necessary and decisive measures".
SOURCES (2)
- Arab and Islamic world condemns attack on East-West Pipeline; affirms support for Saudi Arabia
- Iraq removes Maysan operations commander after attacks on Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia says drones from Iraq targeted East-West Pipeline, holds off response
- Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline after multiple attacks
- Asharq Al-Awsat ENMEDIUM
