ADEN/DUBAI, 12 September 2026 (Nosheen): Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West oil pipeline after the vital energy conduit came under an aerial attack amid the widening Middle East war. Reuters reported that the world’s largest crude oil exporter temporarily closed the 1,200-kilometre pipeline after a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack. The pipeline, which runs across the Arabian Peninsula, has helped Saudi Arabia bypass disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has slowed sharply amid the war between the United States and Iran. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said the pipeline was shut as a precautionary measure. According to shipping trackers and analysts, the pipeline had been carrying between 4 million and 5 million barrels of oil per day in recent months, equivalent to around 4% to 5% of global supply. The attack comes as Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen have tightened their grip on the Red Sea, while disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have placed growing pressure on energy supplies on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula. The combined disruptions have also pushed global oil prices back above $100 a barrel.