Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline, a critical oil conduit, following drone attacks originating from Iraq, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and a tightening Houthi grip on Red Sea shipping.

• The 1,200-km pipeline, vital for exporting Middle Eastern oil while the Strait of Hormuz is largely closed, was temporarily shut as a precaution.
• Saudi Arabia requested military help from the United States, which offered intelligence support.
• The Houthis have seized the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially disrupting another major oil route.
• Iraq dismissed a military commander and shut a border crossing following the pipeline attack.