Saudi Arabia shuts down critical oil pipeline after Iraqi drone attack

Saudi Arabia closed down one of its critical oil pipelines Friday after a drone attack was launched against the country from an Iraqi territory earlier this week.The Saudi Arabian Energy Ministry said the shutdown of the East-West pipeline, which is an increasingly critical means to send oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, was a precautionary measure.
The Energy Ministry has said the attacks “resulted in a number of injuries,” and that its teams were “taking the necessary measures to secure the pipeline and assess its safety,” according to NBC News. 
The Iraqi government has denied orchestrating the attack, and Saudi Arabia said it would not immediately retaliate in order to give Iraq “an opportunity to take the necessary measures,” according to the Associated Press.
The pipeline has been increasingly vital amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East because it gives Saudi Arabia the ability to export oil following the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, amid the United States’ war with Iran.
By early June, Saudi Arabia had more than doubled oil exports from the Red Sea port at the pipeline’s end to more than 5 million barrels per day. 
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter. 
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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