Iranian Strikes Cripple Saudi East-West Pipeline as Hormuz Blockade Defies Ceasefire

Iran strikes Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline and production sites, slashing output by 600,000 bpd. Strait of Hormuz remains closed despite ceasefire.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 11, 2026, 9:38 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from CNBC

The Assault on the East-West Lifeline

Iranian forces have targeted a primary pumping station on Saudi Arabia’s vital East-West Pipeline, causing a 700,000-barrel-per-day reduction in throughput. The 745-mile pipeline, also known as the Petroline, is the Kingdom’s most strategic asset for bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Eastern Province oilfields directly to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Prior to the strike, Riyadh had ramped up the pipeline to its maximum 7 million barrel-per-day capacity to maintain global exports during the 2026 Iran war. The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed that the damage has significantly hindered the Kingdom's ability to supply international markets, as the Red Sea route was the only remaining viable channel for large-scale crude shipments.

Production Capacity Plummets Following Strikes

The sabotage of the pumping station was accompanied by direct hits on the Manifa and Khurais production facilities, resulting in a 600,000-barrel-per-day drop in national output. The Manifa field, an offshore facility critical to Saudi Arabia's heavy crude production, saw its capacity reduced by 300,000 barrels per day, while the Khurais plant suffered similar losses. According to reports from the Saudi Press Agency, the strikes also impacted downstream operations, with fires reported at gas processing units in Al Juaymah. These disruptions have effectively neutralized the Kingdom’s spare capacity, leaving the global energy market without a safety net during the worst energy crisis in history.

Hormuz Access Denied Despite Pakistan Truce

Despite a U.S.-brokered two-week ceasefire announced in Islamabad on Tuesday, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial traffic. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), warned in a social media statement that access to the waterway is currently being "restricted, conditioned, and controlled" by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Al Jaber clarified that any passage is subject to Iranian permission and political leverage, rejecting the notion that freedom of navigation has been restored. This continued stasis has left an estimated 230 tankers loaded with oil stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to transit the 21-mile-wide choke point.