Key Saudi oil pipeline hit in new attack

The East-West Pipeline carries millions of barrels of crude daily and is an alternative to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz A major pipeline carrying millions of barrels of oil from the Gulf region has come under renewed attack, the Saudi Energy Ministry has said, as cited by the Saudi Press Agency. Occurring during intense fighting with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, it puts a vital route for the kingdom’s crude exports at risk.The East-West route was targeted in the Medina region on Monday, Riyadh said, causing a small fire. No casualties were reported, and operations were unaffected, according to the authorities. On Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied responsibility, calling allegations of the group’s involvement a “blatant lie” and saying its forces had instead targeted pumping stations along the same pipeline near Riyadh.The 1,200 km pipeline runs across the Arabian Peninsula from Saudi Arabia’s oil-producing east to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The kingdom is the world’s largest crude oil exporter and has relied heavily on the route since the US-Israeli war against Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, severely restricting exports from neighboring...