ISLAMABAD/RIYADH – A major Saudi oil lifeline has been hit by drone attack, triggering fresh security alarm across the region, while Pakistan strongly condemned the strike and warned of its wider consequences.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have said the drones were launched from Iraqi territory. Baghdad has responded by removing a military commander following the attack.
Pakistan reacted strongly to the incident, with the Foreign Office condemning the strike as a serious violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Islamabad said the targeting of civilian infrastructure not only breaches international law but also poses a direct threat to regional peace, security and stability.
Islamabad reaffirmed its unwavering support for Saudi Arabia, saying it stands with the kingdom’s leadership, government and people and remains committed to protecting regional stability through diplomatic efforts.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after drones struck key sections in the Riyadh and Madina regions, damaging the vital energy route and leaving civilians injured.
The attack comes at a highly sensitive moment, with the ongoing US-Iran war already disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and raising fears of another shock to global energy supplies.
The pipeline is strategically crucial because it allows KSA to move crude across the Arabian Peninsula without depending entirely on tankers travelling through Hormuz. With maritime traffic through the strategic waterway already sharply reduced, the latest disruption could add another layer of uncertainty to oil markets.
The attack has now put a crucial Saudi oil route at the centre of the widening Middle East crisis, with fears mounting that continued strikes on energy infrastructure could further rattle already-sensitive global oil markets.
Iraq dismisses commander, orders probe after drone attacks on Saudi oil pipeline
