Crucial Saudi oil pipeline out of service for weeks after attack blamed on Iran-backed militias

A crucial Saudi oil pipeline, the East-West Pipeline, will be mostly out of service for several weeks due to damage from an attack last week. Regional officials, speaking on Monday, September 14, 2026, stated that repairs could take three to five weeks. Saudi Arabia has blamed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq for the drone attack that forced the pipeline's shutdown, further straining efforts to transport Saudi oil while avoiding the Strait of Hormuz.