Current sectionMiddle East NewsRiyadh says it will hold off on retaliation to give Iraq time to act. Meanwhile, the Houthis' capture of a strategic Red Sea island threatens a vital shipping route and could help Iran drive up oil prices as it seeks leverage over WashingtonShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeReutersand The Associated Press12:45 PM • September 12 2026 IDTSaudi Arabia shut down its major East-West oil pipeline on Friday as a precaution after it was attacked by drones, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, escalating a confrontation that threatens regional oil exports and shipping.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Saudi ArabiaYemenMiddle East oilIraqIranHouthisStrait of HormuzCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu October 7Settlement SanctionsIran-U.S.EisenkotBen-GvirHamasIsrael Election PollsOphir AwardsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsrael-Lebanon Talks in Rome Set for Next Week Reportedly Postponed to OctoberYour Vote Won't Change a Thing. This Is Why You Should Cast It AnywayEven Palestinians Were Stunned: The IDF-settler Alliance Reaches a New LevelReport: U.S. Ties Chinese Satellite Imagery to Iranian Strike That Killed TroopsSnakebite and Roach Milk: Ig Nobel Winners Answer Humanity's Big QuestionsRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. He Didn't Brief Security ChiefsNetanyahu Was Warned About October 7. Will Haaretz's Exposé Change Anything?IMDb Replaces the Name Israel With 'The Occupied Palestinian Territories'Netanyahu Says He Will Sue Haaretz Following Oct. 7 ExposéIsraeli Documentary on Gaza Receives Record 25-minute Standing Ovation at Venice'Baby, an Update: He's Just Died': Israeli Guards' Texts Reveal Abuse in Prison