Saudi Arabia reports new attack on key East-West pipeline

An official at the Saudi Ministry of Energy said that the pipeline was targeted in the Medina region in the west of the country on Monday, causing a “limited fire” that was extinguished, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The report did not identify the party behind the attack, but fighting continues to intensify between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government coalition that it backs, and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The pipeline is essential for bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which remains tightly constricted by the US-Israel war on Iran.

It has come under attack several times as the war on Iran fuels a global energy crisis . The Houthis have also repeatedly targeted Saudi oil infrastructure, including refineries and storage facilities, with drones and missiles. The 1,200km (745-mile) pipeline runs through the desert across the Arabian Peninsula.

It was shut down for several days in September after drone attacks, which Saudi Arabia said were launched from Iraq.