Saudi Arabia is shifting its oil shipments back to the Strait of Hormuz following attacks by Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea and the targeting of the East-West Oil Pipeline with drones on September 13. While Iran-backed militias in Iraq are alleged to be responsible, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” denied the claim.
According to a report by Reuters based on TankerTrackers.com data, Saudi Aramco loaded approximately 14 million barrels of oil onto 7 VLCCs at Ras Tanura Port on Sunday. According to JP Morgan, an average of 2.9 million barrels of Saudi oil per day passed through Hormuz over the last 6 days; that figure was 700 thousand barrels in August.
Riyadh had used the 1200-kilometer pipeline but may have changed its route after operations were suspended. It was reported to have asked its Asian customers to collect shipments off the coast of Oman. Brent crude fell 4% to below 100 dollars.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended new pipelines, while Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad bin Şeride el-Kaabi said Hormuz was critical for trade.
Why it matters
The rerouting of shipments back to the maritime passage shows that the pipeline is not a permanent alternative that completely insulates Saudi oil from the risk of attacks. The change could affect logistics planning and security assessments, particularly for Asian customers that receive their oil under a delivery arrangement off the coast of Oman. The increase in the volume passing through the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates how dependent energy trade is on security developments in the region, while Qatar’s emphasis on its commercial importance indicates that this dependence does not concern Saudi Arabia alone. However, the rejection of the accusations regarding responsibility for the attacks leaves open questions about how long the change in route will last and when the pipeline can be used again.
Background
Saudi is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 8 reports mentioning it in the past 90 days; the latest is dated 16 September 2026.