Trump links Iran to drone attack on Saudi pipeline as oil prices spike toward $110

President Donald Trump pointed the finger at Tehran on September 12, saying Iran was “probably” responsible for the drone attack that struck Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West pipeline two days earlier. Brent crude briefly touched roughly $110 per barrel in the aftermath of the September 10 strikes. What happened on the ground On September 10, drone strikes hit pump stations along Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The attacks caused injuries and significant infrastructure damage, prompting Saudi Arabia to immediately shut down the pipeline as a precaution. The East-West pipeline spans 1,200 kilometers, connecting Saudi oil fields in the east to export terminals on the Red Sea coast. Under normal operations, it moves an estimated 4% to 5% of the world’s oil supply. Investigations traced the drones’ launch point to Iraq’s Maysan province, near the Iranian border. Iraq responded by dismissing the local military operations commander responsible for the area but stopped short of retaliating further. Riyadh reportedly asked Baghdad to hold off on any escalatory moves, a request Iraq appears to have honored. The bigger picture: a region on edge This attack...