Satellite imagery has confirmed serious damage to Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, a crucial route for exporting crude oil via the Red Sea, after a strike last week that Riyadh has blamed on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The attack came amid a sharp escalation in the region, with Yemen's Houthi group intensifying missile and drone strikes on south-western Saudi Arabia and seizing territory near the strategic Bab al-Mandab waterway, prompting Saudi retaliation against Houthi-held areas. Experts warn the pipeline's closure could push oil prices higher still and expose the fragility of routes used to bypass the dangerous Strait of Hormuz.

Analysts at Kpler estimate repairs could take four to six weeks given limited spare parts and disrupted supply chains, with the closure potentially cutting global oil supply by up to 3.6 million barrels a day, or roughly 3.6% of demand. Brent crude has surged to around $108 a barrel. Separate satellite images also show damage to Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Air Base, while the Saudi-led coalition reported 13 people injured in Houthi strikes and the Houthis claimed over 50 Saudi strikes on Yemen in 24 hours; the UN says more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the renewed fighting.