Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline targeted by Houthis; satellite images show huge plume of smoke
While tensions remain high in the Middle East as the United States (US) and Iran continue trading strikes against each other, Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline corridor which is in the southeast of Medina was targeted by Houthi rebels, said media reports on Friday.
Saudi Arabian authorities have not confirmed the strikes yet, but regional observers and experts have analysed satellite images to confirm the strikes. The images, which have gone viral on social media platforms, showed a large plume of smoke near the route of the Petroline toward Mahd adh-Dhahab.
“The Houthis appear to have struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, which carries crude from Abqaiq on the Gulf coast to Yanbu on the Red Sea. Multiple fire hotspots were detected at six points along the pipeline route at roughly the same time, around 17:56 UTC. Large smoke plumes were also visible in the attached NOAA-20 and MODIS satellite imagery,” @EGYOSINT, an OSNIT account on X based out of Egypt, said, while sharing a video and photos.
However, the images cannot be independently confirmed by India TV Digital.
The East-West Pipeline corridor, also called the Petroline, is extremely crucial for Saudi Arabia, as it provides the Kingdom an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz that has remained blocked since the beginning of the US-Iran war. The pipeline is over 1,200 kilometres long and has 13 pumping stations that have the capacity to discharge around 7 million barrels per day.
Houthis seize key Red Sea island
The Houthis, a group based out of Yemen, have kept targeting Saudi Arabia and seized a Red Sea island, also known as Perim, in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane. The Iran-backed group has warned targeting vessels from Saudi Arabia, as tensions remain high with Riyadh.
“Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday,” a local government official told AFP. “The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island, which is located in the middle of the strait.”
As Saudi Arabia struggles to deal with Houthis, it has requested the US to target the Iran-backed group. However, the request by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was denied by President Donald Trump, according to a report by Axois.
Although the report said Washington will provide Riyadh the intelligence on the Houthis and targeting data, and more than 200 US military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia providing “non-kinetic support.”
ALSO READ:
‘A defensive alliance’: Pakistan’s swift U-turn on Mecca pact after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
