An attack was carried out on the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline, which transports crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea for subsequent export, two sources told the Financial Times, as well as one source from Bloomberg. One of the pumping stations located along the pipeline was hit. One of the FT sources clarified that the attack was carried out using a drone. According to another, an assessment of the damage is being conducted.

The attack on the 1200 km pipeline occurred a few hours after Iran and the USA agreed on the terms of a ceasefire. The strike was carried out on Wednesday, April 8, around 1:00 PM local time (12:00 CET), sources told FT. They hope that the attack will not affect the operation of the pipeline due to the presence of backup stations.

The state oil company Saudi Aramco, which owns and operates the pipeline, declined to comment.

Context

After the start of the full-scale conflict between the USA and Iran on February 28, 2026, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with global trade routes, was practically paralyzed. In this situation, the pipeline effectively became the main 'economic artery' of Saudi Arabia, allowing the kingdom to export oil while bypassing dangerous areas, FT notes.

The East-West pipeline was built back in the 1980s in response to the threat of blocking the Strait of Hormuz during the height of the 'tanker war' between Iran and Iraq, FT writes. Today, this mainline is capable of pumping up to 7 million barrels per day directly to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.

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