Saudi Arabia shut down its major East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks struck pumping stations in the Riyadh and Madinah regions.
Trump said he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he described as a “good friend”. The MAGA president also said Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels had contacted his administration and indicated that they did not want the United States to become directly involved in the conflict. There’s just one country that they’re not too happy with, and we’ll get that straightened out,” Trump said. The Saudi Energy Ministry said the pipeline was shut down as “a precautionary measure” following multiple attacks. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said several drones had entered from Iraq, where Iran-backed militias operate, and that the strikes “caused human injuries and damage. Saudi Arabia said it “reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities,” and its inhabitants. Saudi Arabia said it had chosen not to respond “at this stage” following the request from Iraq’s prime minister.
“They would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through. The kingdom has so far refrained from retaliating after Iraq’s prime minister asked Riyadh to give Baghdad time to take action against those responsible. US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Iran was probably responsible for an aerial attack on Saudi Arabia that forced the shutdown of the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline, a key route for exporting crude while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.