Iran regional confrontation

Hormuz Letter reports Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline shut again after a strike on Pumping Station No. 2

ASSESSMENT
Location
Saudi Arabia
Importance
Notable

Hormuz Letter reported at about 14:33 UTC on 5 October that Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has been shut again, citing an unnamed source in the Saudi energy sector who described big damage to Pumping Station No. 2 east of Riyadh after a strike the previous day, attributed by the account to AFP. The pipeline is Saudi Arabia's only export route that does not pass through the Strait of Hormuz; according to the same report it was shut on 11 September and only partially restarted on 22 September, and the pumping station had not been targeted before. The underlying damage claim is attributed to a single unnamed sector source and is not independently confirmed in this pass.

Verification: unverified

Evidence: BREAKING: Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has just been shut again after yesterday's strike on Pumping Station No. 2 east of Riyadh

The shutdown and the damage rest on one unnamed source in the Saudi energy sector, relayed by Hormuz Letter and attributed by that account to AFP. No AFP article, no operator statement and no satellite imagery were recovered in this pass, so both the damage and the present state of the pipeline remain unconfirmed.