CAIRO — Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said Friday that it had shut down a major cross-country oil pipeline after it was attacked the day before. The statement did not specify who carried out the attacks and called the shutdown “a precautionary measure.”
Built in the 1980s, the East-West pipeline has played a key role in Saudi Arabia’s ability to continue exporting oil following the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz during Iran’s war with the U.S. and Israel.
The shutdown comes as Houthi rebels in Yemen have seized coastal territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening Saudi oil exports through a key shipping lanes.
