Riyadh: An attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline has wiped out roughly 10 percent of the Kingdom’s oil export capacity, disrupting global supply flows as regional tensions continue to escalate following the Iran conflict.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, a strike on a pumping station along the strategic pipeline reduced throughput by around 700,000 barrels per day. The route has become a critical export lifeline, enabling crude shipments to bypass the constrained Strait of Hormuz.
Regional tensions have escalated since the February 28 offensive by the United States (US) and Israel on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider regional conflict, increasingly drawing energy infrastructure into the crossfire. The US and Iran agreed on Wednesday, April 8, to a two-week conditional ceasefire, with direct talks scheduled in Islamabad aimed at resolving differences and securing a lasting peace.
Saudi officials said the attacks struck a broad range of facilities, including oil and gas production sites, transport networks, refineries, petrochemical plants and electricity infrastructure in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Yanbu Industrial City.
The Manifa and Khurais oil fields were also hit, reducing production capacity by a combined 600,000 barrels per day. The losses have tightened supply from one of the world’s leading exporters at a time when global markets remain under pressure.
Major refining facilities in Jubail, Ras Tanura, Yanbu and Riyadh sustained damage, directly affecting exports of refined petroleum products. Gas processing plants in Ju’aymah were also impacted by fires, disrupting shipments of liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas liquids.
The attacks resulted in the death of one Saudi national from industrial security personnel and injuries to seven others. Several facilities reported operational shutdowns, compounding the disruption across the energy sector.
Saudi authorities warned that continued strikes could undermine supply security and slow recovery in global energy markets, contributing to increased volatility and inflationary pressure worldwide.
The developments come as diplomatic efforts intensify ahead of expected talks in Islamabad, even as uncertainty persists over maritime access and regional stability.
With critical infrastructure under strain and export routes constrained, the scale of disruption is likely to keep global energy markets on edge in the coming weeks.
