Yemen's Ansarallah forces claimed they used ballistic missiles and drones to strike Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Al-Khurais in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes. While some satellite imagery showed a smoke plume stretching 50 km, Sentinel-2 data suggested the smoke originated from routine flaring rather than a fire. The pipeline, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and can move 7 million barrels per day, had previously been shut on Sept 11 before partially restarting on Sept 22. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the U.S. will honor its security agreements with the kingdom.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Saudi East-West Pipeline Shuts after Houthi Pumping Station Strike
Commodities15 days ago
Conflicting reports emerged Monday over whether Saudi Arabia's primary cross-country oil route is operating after a reported missile hit near Riyadh. A source in the Saudi energy sector told AFP that the East-West pipeline has been shut again due to big damage at Pumping Station No 2 on Oct 4, a facility that had not been targeted previously. This claim contradicts reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, as well as people familiar with the matter, who state that the critical infrastructure continues to function normally and that oil continues to flow.
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