Overview
- Drone and proxy strikes damaged sections of the 750‑mile East–West pipeline and forced Saudi Arabia to halt loadings at its Red Sea hub, prompting Saudi Aramco to delay some deliveries to European customers.
- U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the outage could be restored in days, but satellite images and industry sources show multiple fire‑damaged pumping stations that industry estimates say may take weeks to repair.
- Riyadh has shifted shipments to the Persian Gulf and arranged ship‑to‑ship transfers off Oman's Sohar port under U.S. naval protection to keep crude moving while Yanbu remains offline.
- Markets jumped on supply fears above $100 a barrel and then eased as alternate shipments and diplomatic signals arrived, yet major banks and agencies warn inventories and refined‑fuel stocks are tight and price risk remains high.
- Beijing has reportedly urged Tehran to rein in the Houthis to protect shipping routes, but ongoing fights along the Red Sea and threats to the Bab al‑Mandeb mean diplomatic steps must be sustained to prevent further export disruption.