Saudi Pipeline Struck by Iraq-Launched Drones as Houthis Seize Red Sea Coast

Saudi Arabia says its East-West oil pipeline near Medina was hit by multiple drones launched from Iraq's Maysan province, causing injuries and a temporary shutdown, while Riyadh has held off retaliation at Baghdad's request and Iraq has dismissed the local military commander. The strike came as Yemen's Houthis, aligned with Iran, seized Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and three strategic islands, adding pressure on a shipping corridor already strained by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Together these events mark a further widening of Iran-aligned pressure on Saudi Arabia and Gulf infrastructure, part of a broader pattern of regional realignment toward wider Middle East conflict.