Saudi Arabia reports new attack on key East-West pipeline

What the report says

Saudi Arabia said its critical East-West oil pipeline was targeted again in the Medina region in the west of the kingdom, according to state media reported by Al Jazeera on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. An official at the Saudi Ministry of Energy said the attack caused a limited fire that was put out. The report said there were no injuries or deaths, and that pipeline operations were not affected.

The pipeline is a major energy route that carries crude across the Arabian Peninsula to the Red Sea coast, helping Saudi Arabia move oil without relying on the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera noted that the line has been hit before, including a shutdown in September after drone attacks. The outlet said the earlier attacks were attributed by Saudi Arabia to launches from Iraq.

The report did not identify who carried out the latest attack. It came amid worsening regional tensions involving Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, which has repeatedly used drones and missiles against Saudi oil infrastructure. Al Jazeera also said Riyadh has been rerouting about 4 million barrels per day through the pipeline to Yanbu, a flow it described as roughly 4 percent of global supply. For readers, the incident underlines how vulnerable key energy infrastructure remains during the wider regional conflict.