Saudi Arabia Shuts Key Oil Pipeline After Drone Attacks Amid Iran Conflict

Saudi Arabia has shut its 7-million-barrel-a-day East-West pipeline, a route built to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, after drone attacks destroyed a pumping station and injured workers. The closure comes as Houthi forces seized the island of Mayun in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening a second export chokepoint, while Saudi oil shipments have already fallen to their lowest level since 2017 amid ongoing US-Iran conflict. Analysts expect Iran to intensify strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure as the US maintains its blockade, marking a widening regional confrontation with implications for Israel's security environment.