19 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTiffanie Turnbull
Copernicus Sentinel-3/ReutersSaudi Arabia has closed a critical oil pipeline after it was attacked by drones launched from Iraq, as conflict in the Middle East widens.
Iraq said it had fired a military commander and launched an investigation after admitting the drone attack on its neighbour’s East-West pipeline had originated in one of its provinces bordering Iran.
The 1,200km (745 mile) pipeline has helped Saudi Arabia – the world’s largest crude oil exporter – bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident comes amid a major advance by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, putting more pressure on global oil shipping routes as the US-Iran war stretches into its seventh month.
Riyadh on Friday said it had shut the pipeline as a precaution, as satellite images of scorched ground and smoke near the site emerged.
The foreign ministry said the attack resulted in some injuries and damage, which was still being assessed.
The pipeline has been moving 4% to 5% of global oil supply, news agency Reuters has reported, citing ship tracking companies and analysts.
Saudi Arabia has chosen not to retaliate at this stage, its foreign ministry says, following a call from Iraq’s prime minister, but added it reserves the right to “take all measures necessary” to protect its interests.
In a statement, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said the operations commander in the Maysan governorate – a province which borders Iran – had been removed from his post following confirmation the drone attack had been launched from that region.
This week, a lightning advance in Yemen has also seen Houthi militants seize control of much of the country’s coastline, sources say.
The group claims it has control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, though it says maritime navigation is “safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels”.
The developments have squeezed both sides of the Arabian Peninsula, pushing crude oil prices to over $100 a barrel for the first time since July.
