> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://beirutwire.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Saudi Arabia Shuts Its East-West Oil Pipeline as Houthis Seize Perim Island
- URL: https://beirutwire.com/saudi-arabia-shuts-its-east-west-oil-pipeline-as-houthis-seize-perim-island/
- Published: 2026-09-12T05:41:26.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-12T05:41:26.000Z
- Description: Saudi Arabia has shut its vital East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack, just as Yemen’s Houthis seized Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Author: Beirut Wire
- Tags: Politics

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its vital East-West oil pipeline after it was struck by drones believed to have come from Iraq, adding another major threat to global energy flows as Yemen’s Houthis simultaneously tighten their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The pipeline, also known as Petroline, runs roughly 1,200 kilometers from eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu and had become increasingly important as Riyadh tried to bypass disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.

The pipeline was carrying roughly 4–5 million barrels per day before the shutdown, equivalent to as much as 5% of global oil supply. Saudi Arabia said the closure was a precautionary measure while it assesses the damage. Riyadh blamed several drones launched from Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate, although Iraq has denied responsibility and moved to investigate the incident.

At the same time, the Houthis have captured Perim Island, also known as Mayun, in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after government-aligned forces withdrew. The volcanic island divides the narrow waterway into two shipping lanes and gives the Houthis an even stronger position over one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

The seizure follows the Houthis’ capture of Mocha and other Red Sea positions, including Zuqar and the Hanish islands. Analysts cited by the Financial Times say the group now effectively controls the Yemeni side of Bab el-Mandeb, completing one of its most dramatic territorial advances in years.

That matters enormously because Saudi Arabia had been relying more heavily on Red Sea export routes precisely because Iran has been disrupting shipping through Hormuz. The East-West pipeline was designed to move crude from the Gulf side of the kingdom to Yanbu, allowing exports to avoid Hormuz altogether. But with the pipeline temporarily shut and the Houthis now entrenched around Bab el-Mandeb, both of Saudi Arabia’s principal bypass options are under pressure at the same time.

The broader strategic picture is becoming increasingly dangerous. Iran retains leverage over Hormuz, while its Houthi allies now hold territory commanding the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Roughly 12% of global trade normally passes through Bab el-Mandeb, and a serious disruption would force vessels to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, adding thousands of kilometers and roughly two weeks to many Asia-Europe journeys.

The Houthis say navigation remains safe for most vessels but have excluded Saudi shipping from that assurance. That raises the possibility that Riyadh could face targeted disruption even if the Houthis stop short of completely closing the strait.

Energy markets have already reacted sharply. Brent crude has moved above $100 a barrel as traders increasingly price in the possibility that the Middle East war could disrupt not only Iranian and Saudi production, but also the infrastructure and shipping routes needed to move that oil to global markets.

Saudi Arabia has asked Washington for military assistance against the Houthis, but the U.S. has so far limited its role largely to intelligence and targeting support rather than launching a new major bombing campaign in Yemen. Riyadh had already assembled a 14-country maritime coalition in August, but the rapid Houthi advance has exposed how difficult it may be to reverse the group’s gains quickly.

The combination of the pipeline shutdown and the fall of Perim is therefore much bigger than two separate incidents. Saudi Arabia built its energy strategy around having alternatives if Hormuz became unsafe. Now, those alternatives are being threatened simultaneously.

If the East-West pipeline remains offline and the Houthis consolidate control over Bab el-Mandeb, the global oil market could face one of the most serious supply-routing crises of the current war.