Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Saudi Pipeline Shut as Houthis Seize Strategic Red Sea Island
Saudi Arabia stopped a major oil pipeline after drones attacked it.
Saudi officials said the drones came from Iraq, but the reports said it was not immediately clear who launched them.
Iraq condemned the attack and began investigating.
At the same time, Houthi fighters in Yemen reportedly captured Mayun, a small island beside an important sea route.
That route is called the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and many ships use it to move between the Red Sea and the wider world.
The Houthis said Saudi ships would not be safe, while other ships could still travel.
These events made it harder for Saudi Arabia to send oil to customers and pushed oil prices higher.
Saudi Arabia asked the United States for help, but Washington reportedly declined to join direct military action for now.
The fighting also threatens Yemen’s fragile truce and has forced more than 46,000 people from their homes.
Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline after a drone attack in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
Saudi officials said the drones came from Iraq, while Baghdad condemned the attack, ordered an investigation and dismissed an Iraqi military commander.
Houthi forces reportedly captured Mayun, also known as Perim, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, along with other coastal positions.
The pipeline had carried about 4 million to 5 million barrels of oil per day, while shipping disruptions helped push crude prices above $100 a barrel.
Saudi Arabia sought U.S. military assistance, but Washington reportedly offered intelligence and targeting support rather than direct action.
- Who
- Saudi Arabia, the Houthi movement, Yemen’s internationally recognized government, Iraq, Iran and the United States are the principal parties mentioned.
- What
- Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack, while Houthi forces reportedly seized Mayun and advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
- When
- The pipeline was attacked Thursday and shut afterward; the island seizure was reported Friday, with related Iraqi actions reported Saturday.
- Where
- The events involved Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Medina regions, Iraq, Yemen’s Red Sea coast, Mayun Island and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Why
- Saudi Arabia cited precautionary security concerns; the Houthis said their attacks responded to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Houthi-held areas in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Government
Houthis and Their Supporters
Cause and justification
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Government
Saudi Arabia said it had offered opportunities for negotiation and had the right to defend itself and protect its interests. Yemen’s government condemned the Houthi attacks and requested international support.
Houthis and Their Supporters
The Houthis said their campaign responded to Saudi Arabia’s yearslong blockade of Houthi-held areas in Yemen. Iran called for the blockade to end and negotiations to resume.
Maritime access
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Government
Yemen’s internationally recognized government said it was defending freedom of navigation and planned to retake territory captured by the Houthis.
Houthis and Their Supporters
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said maritime navigation was safe for all shipping except Saudi vessels, which were subject to a previously announced ban.
External military involvement
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Government
Saudi Arabia sought U.S. military assistance, while Washington reportedly offered intelligence and targeting support but was not willing to take direct military action for now.
Houthis and Their Supporters
Reports alleged that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards guided or supported the Houthi advance; Iran describes the Houthis as an ally but publicly denies directing them militarily.
- Pipeline
- The East-West pipeline was built in the 1980s and runs about 1,200 kilometres across Saudi Arabia.
- Pipeline flow
- The line had been moving about 4 million to 5 million barrels of oil per day, according to analysts and ship-tracking companies.
- Attack attribution
- Saudi Arabia said the drones came from Iraq; the reports also said responsibility for the strikes was not immediately clear.
- Strategic island
- Mayun, also known as Perim, is a small volcanic island inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Shipping disruption
- Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb had fallen by about 60% since Houthi attacks on some ships began in late 2023, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
- Oil prices
- Crude prices rose above $100 per barrel during the week covered by the reports.
- Displacement
- More than 46,000 people fled their homes during the latest surge in fighting, according to the United Nations migration agency.
Sources
Saudis Shut Down Oil Pipeline as Houthis Tighten Grip on Red Sea Shipping
Houthis Seize Island as Saudi Shuts Pipeline, Opening New Iran War Front
West Asia crisis puts key oil route in crosshairs as Saudi shuts pipeline after Houthis seize Red Sea island
Gulf oil threatened anew as Houthis reach key island and pipeline is shut down
Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
