CNA Explains: Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline is down. Why its oil 'insurance policy' matters

Summary

Saudi Arabia's critical East-West pipeline (Petroline), which allows crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, is reportedly down. This shutdown removes a vital 'insurance policy' for the Kingdom's oil exports, concentrating risk at its Gulf terminals. The outage heightens Saudi Arabia's vulnerability to regional chokepoint disruptions, particularly from Iran.