Saudi Critical Infrastructure Attacked

As tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to persist, developments in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb have emerged as another major security challenge for Saudi Arabia. The Houthis in Yemen, who had largely remained dormant during the US–Israel war, have intensified their attacks against the Kingdom. Since the first week of September, they have launched several attacks targeting Saudi territory, including critical energy and civilian infrastructure, such as the Abha International Airport, King Khalid Air Base and the East–West Pipeline (Petroline). The pipeline, which has gained particular strategic significance since the onset of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, is a critical alternative route for exporting Saudi oil to the outside world. Extending about 1,200 kilometres from the oil-producing Abqaiq oil field in eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the Petroline has become a vital economic and energy lifeline for the Kingdom amid ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The pipeline has been temporarily shut down following the attacks.[i] Saudi Arabia has stated that these drones were launched from Iraq, but it has resisted retaliation at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister.[ii] Several armed militia groups are operating in Iraq, over which the Iraqi government exercises little or no effective control. The attack on the pipeline demonstrates an apparent intention to target Saudi Arabia’s economic capabilities and critical energy infrastructure at a particularly vulnerable moment. For the Kingdom, it represents yet another serious breach of its security........

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