Is Saudi Arabia’s oil lifeline in the crosshairs? PHOTO / VIDEO

Satellite imagery is fueling reports that Saudi Arabia’s strategic East-West oil pipeline may have been hit, although the claim has not been officially confirmed by Saudi Aramco or a major international news agency.

Clash Report said satellite images showed a powerful smoke plume stretching for about 100 kilometres and persistent thermal anomalies along the pipeline southeast of Medina.

NASA fire data reportedly showed thermal signals with fire radiative power exceeding 70 megawatts at several points along the pipeline corridor, with the signals persisting for several hours. Clash Report said some analysts believed between six and eight sections of the pipeline may have been affected and raised the possibility of a loss of pressure or a rupture.

The reports have not been independently verified.

The East-West Pipeline is strategically important to Saudi Arabia because it provides an alternative route for exporting crude without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline has a capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, with roughly 5 million barrels of export crude transported daily to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.

A confirmed attack would therefore threaten a key alternative to the kingdom’s Gulf export routes at a time when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is already severely disrupted.

The pipeline was also targeted in April. According to reports at the time, an Iranian drone strike reduced transportation capacity by about 700,000 barrels per day for four days. Saudi Arabia subsequently restored the pipeline’s full pumping capacity of approximately 7 million barrels per day, according to the Saudi Energy Ministry.

The latest reports come amid a broader escalation around Saudi energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping. Iran-aligned Houthi forces have recently seized Yemen’s port city of Mocha and advanced along the Red Sea coast, increasing concerns over the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime chokepoint. Reuters reported that the developments have raised further concerns over Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea.

If the pipeline damage is confirmed, Saudi Arabia could face simultaneous pressure on both of its principal export corridors: the Gulf route through the Strait of Hormuz and the alternative route to the Red Sea.

Oil markets were already responding to the escalating risks before the pipeline reports emerged. Brent crude rose above $105 a barrel on September 10 as attacks on shipping intensified and concerns over supply disruptions grew. It subsequently climbed further, reaching nearly $110 a barrel on September 11, according to Reuters.

For now, however, the reported damage to the East-West Pipeline remains unconfirmed.

By Tamilla Hasanova