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 a...