Saudi Crude Oil Diversion Route Also Hit... Could Both Sea and Land Routes Be Blocked?

[Financial News] An oil pipeline that Saudi Arabia had been using as an alternative route for transporting crude oil after the Strait of Hormuz blockade was attacked, temporarily suspending operations. Concerns are growing that Saudi Arabia’s crude exports could be cut off not only by sea but also by land.
According to CNN and other foreign media outlets on the 11th (local time), the East–West Crude Oil Pipeline, used as an alternative route for transporting Saudi crude oil, was attacked by drones launched from Iraq.
A Saudi Energy Ministry official said the pipeline had been attacked several times in the Riyadh and Medina areas, leaving some people injured. The attacks occurred on the 10th, and the Saudi government said drones launched from Iraqi territory had targeted the pipeline.
Iraq’s Prime Minister’s Office announced that its own investigation confirmed the drone had originated in Iraq and that one military commander had been dismissed. The commander was reportedly responsible for overseeing military operations in Iraq’s southern Maysan Governorate.
Recently, Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq have been conducting joint military operations targeting Saudi Arabia with Ansar Allah (Houthis), an Iran-aligned rebel group in Yemen. The large-scale drone attack on Saudi oil facilities in July was also reportedly carried out through cooperation between Ansar Allah (Houthis) and Iraqi armed groups.
The East–West Crude Oil Pipeline attacked this time is 1,201 km long and has handled the overland transport of Saudi crude since the Strait of Hormuz blockade. The pipeline can transport 7 million barrels of crude oil per day. Saudi Arabia has been diverting approximately 5 million barrels per day through the pipeline. It is known as the “lifeline” of the Saudi economy.
CNN analyzed that the attack is intensifying threats to Saudi Arabia’s oil resources and its ability to export them.
[email protected] Lee Hwan-joo Reporter