Saudi Arabia's East-West Oil pipeline, considered vital for global oil supply, was struck by a drone attack as per reports by news agency FT on Wednesday.
The 1,200 km long pipeline has been offering a key alternative after Strait of Hormuz closure, by rerouting millions of barrels of crude oil daily to prevent a crippling energy crisis.
Operated by Saudi Aramco, the pipeline is also known as Petroline and is the most significant alternative route currently available.
Petroline stretches from Abqaiq on the Gulf coast to Yanbu on the Red Sea, and bypasses Hormuz entirely. With a capacity of up to 7 million barrels per day (bpd), it is the only pipeline with scale comparable to a meaningful share of Hormuz flows, which account for one-fifth of global consumption.
Recent data highlighted how critical it has become as flows surged from 770,000 bpd in January–February to 2.9 million bpd towards the end of last month.
Saudi Arabia's workaround for the oil disruptions had been providing a much required release to the pressure building on global supplies.
Attacks Continue Despite Ceasefire?
After waves of mixed signals and uncertain cues surrounding the conflict, US President Donald Trump announced a two‑week ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi indicated that transit through the Strait of Hormuz could be permitted during this period, provided the United States suspends all military actions against the Islamic Republic.
Besides the obvious dangers of the Iran war which erupted on Feb. 28, spiking crude oil prices, vulnerable air spaces, and shifting economic concerns had kept the entire world on edge for more than a month.
However, reports of strikes on both ends have emerged even after the ceasefire was declared, with Iran earlier claiming that its Lavan refinery was attacked.
UAE's ministry of defense confirmed that its systems currently engaging with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran.
"The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones," it highlighted in a post on X.
Kuwait also said its air defences were intercepting a wave of Iranian drones launched since the morning. The Kuwaiti army cmlaimed some drones targeted vital oil facilities, power stations and water desalination plants, causing serious infrastructure damage.
Bahrain's Ministry of Interior also reported alleged Iranian attacks, which injured two people, hours after the ceasefire was declared.
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