Iran-backed proxies strike Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline and military bases

Iran-backed militias launched coordinated strikes against Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline and the Sharurah military base over a 48-hour window this week, forcing a precautionary shutdown of one of the world’s most important energy arteries. Brent crude immediately spiked to between $100 and $108 per barrel, a price range that hadn’t been a regular fixture since the early days of the Ukraine war.

The pipeline in question stretches roughly 1,200 kilometers across the Saudi desert. It carries an estimated 4-5% of the world’s oil supply, making it not just a Saudi asset but a linchpin of global energy logistics.

Two fronts, one strategy

The first wave came around September 11-12, when drone strikes launched from Iraq’s Maysan province targeted the pipeline infrastructure. Reports indicate injuries and damage in the Riyadh and Medina regions, though exact casualty figures remain unclear.

Then on September 13, Houthi forces in Yemen piled on, firing missiles and drones at the Saudi military base in Sharurah. The Houthis have simultaneously been seizing substantial stretches of the Red Sea coast, tightening their grip on one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.

Iran has been actively restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes daily. That campaign made the East-West pipeline even more essential for Saudi exports, since it provides an overland alternative that bypasses the strait entirely.

These incidents didn’t emerge from nowhere. Previous militia attacks and US-Saudi operations against Iranian forces were documented as recently as July 2026, signaling a steady escalation over the summer.

Iraq’s awkward position

The Iraqi government found itself in an uncomfortable spotlight. The drone strikes originated from Iraqi territory, which puts Baghdad squarely in the middle of a confrontation it would rather avoid.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi moved quickly, dismissing military commanders in the area where the launches occurred. Security forces conducted investigations and reportedly seized a suspected drone launch platform.

Baghdad also closed border crossings with Iran and initiated a joint investigation into the strikes.

Oil markets feel the heat

The immediate market reaction was predictable but no less consequential. Brent crude surging past the $100 mark reflects a market that is pricing in not just the current disruption but the risk of further escalation.

For context, the last time Iran-linked forces struck Saudi oil infrastructure at this scale was the 2019 attack on the Abqaiq processing facility, which temporarily knocked out roughly half of Saudi oil production. That episode sent prices up nearly 15% in a single day before Saudi Aramco restored output faster than expected.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.