Transport volumes of crude oil flowing toward the Red Sea are currently about 50% of pre-attack levels following a series of drone strikes in mid-September. The East-West pipeline, which allows oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz to reach the port of Yanbu, has resumed moving approximately 3.5M bpd, down from the 5M to 5.5M bpd recorded immediately before the infrastructure was disabled.

The disruptions began with strikes on Sept. 10, with internal flows restarting on Sept. 22 and port exports returning on Sept. 28. While Saudi and Iraqi officials stated the drones were launched from Iraqi soil, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied any involvement by Iran or Yemen. Pezeshkian claimed it was likely that Israel or its agents targeted the pipeline to inflame regional tensions and fuel disputes.