Trump pins Saudi pipeline attack on Iran as oil routes narrow

A drone attack shut down Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline. The line can carry about 4 million to 5 million barrels of oil per day and bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia said the attack originated in Iraq. Iraqi authorities determined the drones were launched from Missan province near the Iran border and sacked the provincial military commander. Iraq closed the Shalamcheh and Chazabeh border crossings with Iran, later reopening a two-hour window for stranded travelers. Basra airport suspended flights to and from Iran.

President Donald Trump was asked if Iran was responsible. “I think they are, probably they are,” he said.

No group has claimed the pipeline strike, and Tehran has not been independently linked to it. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview with India Today, said Iran never started the war and had merely defended itself against U.S. and Israeli aggression. He said Tehran had “no problem” with the United Arab Emirates.

The same stretch of days brought a second shock to energy shipping. The British navy-affiliated UKMTO reported that a projectile struck a merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A fire broke out and the crew was evacuated. Iranian officials said one person was killed and three injured in a ship strike near Qeshm and Hengam islands.

For months the East-West pipeline had served as a main path for Middle East crude while Hormuz faced disrupted shipping. An attack on that bypass raises the price of energy. Brent crude last week again surpassed $100 a barrel.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump on September 10 requesting military assistance against the Houthis, according to three Reuters sources. Washington has so far refrained from direct intervention but has agreed to provide intelligence.

Iran-backed Houthi forces widened the fight. They attacked a Saudi military base at Sharurah with drones and missiles. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the assault targeted “weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people.” On September 11, Houthi forces captured Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They also captured a key Red Sea port city in Yemen.

Trump said the Houthis had signaled they did not want the United States involved. “They would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through. There’s just one country that they’re not too happy with, and we’ll get that straightened out,” he said.