East-West pipeline

The East-West pipeline is a critical piece of infrastructure for Saudi Arabia, responsible for transporting crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea coast for export. It plays a significant role in the global oil market by enabling the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Recently, the pipeline has become newsworthy due to drone attacks, which Saudi Arabia attributes to sources in Iraq. These attacks, occurring amidst broader regional tensions, temporarily disrupted oil flow and curtailed output. Following the incident, Saudi authorities conducted repairs and have since announced that the pipeline has been restored to its full capacity, pumping approximately seven million barrels of oil per day. The incident highlights the pipeline's strategic importance and its vulnerability to regional conflicts, underscoring its continued relevance to global energy security.