The Sultanate of Oman voiced condemnation of targeting of a pipeline in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reiterating its firm stance against such attacks and the targeting of vital and civilian infrastructure, regardless of the motives or causes.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Saturday, the Sultanate of Oman reaffirmed its solidarity with its brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures aimed at protecting its territory and vital infrastructure and safeguarding its security and stability.
The Sultanate of Oman stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and avoiding anything that would threaten the security and stability of the region. It called on all parties to exercise wisdom and restraint in dealing with these developments, to prioritise dialogue, and to address the root causes through political and diplomatic means and solutions.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline, after the vital oil conduit came under aerial attack in the widening Middle East war, threatening to send energy prices even higher.
The world’s largest crude oil exporter said it temporarily closed the pipeline as a precaution after a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said had originated in Iraq, where militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack.
The 1,200-km pipeline running across the Arabian Peninsula has served as the main route out for global supplies of Middle East oil for the past six months while the Strait of Hormuz has been largely shut by war. It has been moving 4 million to 5 million barrels per day, amounting to 4-5 per cent of global supply, sparing Saudi Arabia the brunt of the disruption that has crippled other Gulf oil and gas exporters.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strikes. Satellite images showed black smoke rising from an area of the pipeline south of Madina. The attack resulted in some injuries and damage that was being assessed, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said without detailing the impact on exports.
Oil prices shot up over the past week and the retail price of diesel in the United States surged past a record $6 a gallon, as the United States and Iran both fired on tankers and the Ansar Allah fighters in Yemen advanced along the Red Sea, potentially extending disruption to another major oil route.
Four Yemeni government sources said that the Ansar Allah had seized the strategic island of Perim on Friday in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait – the “Gate of Tears” at the mouth of the Red Sea. — Agencies
