Saudi Pipeline Closure Amid Gulf Tensions May Push Oil Prices Higher

Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it had temporarily shut the 750-mile East-West pipeline after it was hit by a militia linked to Iran. The pipeline, which moves crude across the kingdom to Red Sea ports, has been the main export route since the conflict in Iran began in February. Analysts said the outage could keep roughly 4 percent of the world’s oil supply off the market, adding upward pressure to already elevated energy prices. The disruption follows increased control of Persian Gulf shipping lanes by Iran and its allies, prompting Saudi officials to reroute millions of barrels of oil through alternative channels.

"We are working to mitigate the impact and restore flow as quickly as possible," a Saudi energy spokesperson said. The incident underscores the vulnerability of regional infrastructure amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.