Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline resumes oil exports after repairs
The restart comes days after France ordered troops to guard the kingdom's Yanbu terminal following a Houthi claim of missile strikes there.
Map: The Middle East, marking Yanbu, Abqaiq
Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline has resumed oil exports after repairs, according to sources. The pipeline had been shut.
The restart follows a tense week at Yanbu, the terminal the pipeline feeds on the Red Sea coast. Macron ordered French troops to guard the site after the Houthis claimed missile strikes on it. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed that claim.
Riyadh has also moved to shore up regional backing. Chiefs of staff from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan plan an urgent meeting to discuss support for the kingdom under a joint defence mechanism. The Saudi Foreign Ministry has said Riyadh has the right to defend itself under the UN Charter, and said it has the backing of two major regional powers.
The pipeline restart removes a key supply constraint at a moment when tensions in the region remain elevated. With Yanbu's export capacity coming back online and international military backing for Saudi defences now materialising, near-term oil supply risk eases even as the wider instability persists, giving crude prices support from the downside.
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