Attack on Saudi Arabian pipeline wiped out 10 percent of kingdom's oil export capacity

Attack on Saudi Arabian pipeline wiped out 10 percent of kingdom's oil export capacity Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 22:05 Saudi Arabia's energy ministry released a detailed statement on Thursday describing targets hit by Iran and the toll on exports This photograph shows an oil plant in the desert during stage nine of the Dakar Rally 2025, between Riyadh and Haradh in Saudi Arabia, on 14 January 2025 (Valery Hache/AFP) Off Attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline knocked out 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) of the kingdom’s oil capacity, or roughly 10 percent of its current exports, according to a statement by the kingdom’s energy ministry on Thursday. “These attacks included a pumping station on the vital East-West pipeline, leading to a loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumped volume through the pipeline, which is the main route for supplying global markets during this period,” the energy ministry said. The statement marked the first official confirmation that Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities have suffered damage as a result of Iranian strikes, and comes just as the US and Iran gear up for high-profile peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan. The East-West pipeline emerged as a critical outlet for Gulf oil after Iran seized control of the Strait of Hormuz and restricted vessel traffic through it. The pipeline connects the kingdom’s Gulf coast to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. Bloomberg previously reported that it was pumping oil ‌at its full capacity of seven million bpd. The statement says that the Manifa and Khurais oil processing plants were also previously targeted. The attacks resulted in a reduction of 600,000 bpd of production capacity across the two fields. The kingdom added that Iranian attacks also hit “major refining facilities” in Jubail, Ras Tanura, Yanbu, and Riyadh, directly impacting exports of refined products to global markets. 'Swinging into action:' The Saudi Arabian pipeline designed to bypass Hormuz Read More » “The continuation of these attacks leads to supply shortages and slows the pace of recovery, impacting the security of supplies for beneficiary countries and contributing to increased volatility in oil markets,” the statement reads. Until now, Saudi Arabia has been relatively tight-lipped about attacks on its energy infrastructure. The statement comes at a critical time, with talks to end the war expected to start on Saturday in Pakistan. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call on Thursday with his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Farhan also spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Saudi Arabia is one of Pakistan’s closest partners, and diplomats have told Middle East Eye that Islamabad would have been unlikely to pitch itself as a mediator without at least Riyadh's approval. At the same time, Saudi Arabia earlier faced pressure from Washington to support the US-Israeli war on Iran, with the kingdom having agreed to grant access to King Fahd Air Base in western Saudi Arabia, MEE reported first. The kingdom welcomed this week's announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Iran. The Financial Times and other news outlets reported that the kingdom, along with the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, continued to face Iranian strikes, although the attacks appeared to subside on Thursday. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0