Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down a major cross-country oil pipeline as a precaution, a day after it was struck by drones that both Riyadh and Baghdad said originated in Iraq. The closure matters because the pipeline had been a vital alternative route for exports while tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by the ongoing US-Iran war, and it comes alongside a separate escalation in Yemen, raising concerns about a broader threat to global energy supplies and prices.

The 745-mile East-West pipeline normally carries 4 to 5 million barrels of oil per day, around 4 to 5% of global supply, and crude prices have already risen above $100 a barrel this week. Iraq dismissed a military commander over the attack, though responsibility remains unclear, while satellite images showed smoke rising near Medina. The situation was compounded by Iran-backed Houthi rebels seizing the strategic island of Mayun and the port city of Mokha near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another key Red Sea route Saudi Arabia relies on. US President Donald Trump said he believed "everything will work out just fine" when asked about the disruption.