Recent drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline (Petroline), attributed to Iranian-backed militias operating from Iraq and Houthi forces, have repeatedly disrupted flows since early September 2026, forcing precautionary shutdowns and repairs that temporarily cut throughput from a restored 5.8 million barrels per day. The 1,200 km line, with roughly 7 million bpd nameplate capacity, serves as a critical bypass for exports amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade tied to the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, moving several million barrels daily to the Red Sea port of Yanbu and supporting roughly 4% of global supply. These incidents have elevated oil-price volatility, with Brent trading near $108 per barrel, while Saudi Aramco accelerates pump-station upgrades and considers repurposing gas lines to reach 10 million bpd alternative capacity within two to three years. Ongoing regional hostilities and proxy threats remain the dominant near-term catalysts for trader positioning.