Saudi Arabia's critical East-West oil pipeline was struck Monday in the Medina region, triggering a limited fire that emergency teams quickly extinguished. An energy ministry source told state media that the incident caused no fatalities or injuries and left pipeline operations unaffected.

The 1,200-kilometer pipeline transports crude from eastern production fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. It has gained strategic importance since Middle East conflict disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing Riyadh to reroute roughly 4 million barrels per day, or about 4 percent of global supply.

This marks the second major incident on the line this year. In September, drone attacks originating from Iraq forced a multi-day shutdown. Saudi officials attributed those strikes to Iranian-backed militias. The pipeline has since resumed full service.

Monday's attack follows a separate attempted strike Sunday that damaged a building belonging to state oil giant Saudi Aramco in Riyadh. Authorities have not publicly identified those responsible for the latest pipeline incident, though Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi energy infrastructure amid broader regional escalation.

Saudi officials immediately dispatched emergency response and technical teams to secure the site and verify safety. The kingdom has relied on the East-West route to maintain exports while Hormuz traffic faces severe restrictions from ongoing hostilities.

Global oil markets have monitored developments closely given the pipeline's role in diversifying Saudi export options away from vulnerable maritime chokepoints. No immediate supply impact was reported from the Monday strike.