Iraqi Militias Join The Iran War As The Fire Rises

Just more than six months into the fighting another player has reportedly entered the arena in the Iran war.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have struck the Saudi Arabian East-West pipeline with drones, which has been a critical blow-off valve for oil since the war began, CNN reported, citing two U.S. officials. The report was corroborated by satellite images recently posted on X. The new attack from the Iraqi militias compounds on the current pressure being applied to the Saudis by the Houthi Rebels, who have also been conducting strikes on Saudi-owned oil refineries, storage facilities and pipelines since July.

Although it currently remains unconfirmed who launched the strikes on the Saudi Aramco pipeline, the drones came from Iraq, CNN reported, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Embassy in Washington and the Iraqi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The extent of the damage to the East-West pipeline remains a mystery, as it is “not immediately clear” how long it will take to repair the damage, CNN reported, citing the U.S. officials.

The East-West Pipeline had already been pushed to its maximum capacity of 7 million barrels per day during the first quarter of 2026 as Saudi Arabia attempted to bypass disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser described the pipeline as a “critical supply artery” that had helped mitigate the global energy shock, according to Aramco.

Saudi Arabia has recently taken center stage in the Iran war, as it has become embroiled in hostilities with the Houthi Rebels. The Houthis have made serious advances within Yemen, taking over the entire coastline, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Yanbu is a major Saudi Arabian oil-export hub on the kingdom’s western Red Sea coast and the terminus of the East-West Pipeline, which carries crude from producing regions in eastern Saudi Arabia across the country to the Red Sea. The route allows Saudi oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely, making Yanbu increasingly important as shipping through the Persian Gulf remains disrupted.

Saudi crude and condensate loadings from the Red Sea port of Yanbu climbed to an estimated 3.7 million barrels per day in early September, according to Vortexa data cited by Reuters. Yanbu has increasingly served as the kingdom’s primary escape route for oil around the crippled Strait of Hormuz.