US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Iran was probably responsible for an aerial attack on Saudi Arabia that forced the shutdown of the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline, a key route for exporting crude while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.“I think they are, probably they are,” Trump told reporters in Dublin when asked whether Iran was responsible for the attack on the vital oil conduit.Trump said he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he described as a “good friend”.The MAGA president also said Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels had contacted his administration and indicated that they did not want the United States to become directly involved in the conflict.“They would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through. There’s just one country that they’re not too happy with, and we’ll get that straightened out,” Trump said.Pipeline shut after drone attacksSaudi Arabia shut down its major East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks struck pumping stations in the Riyadh and Madinah regions on Thursday, leaving several people injured and causing damage that is still being assessed.The Saudi Energy Ministry said the pipeline was shut down as “a precautionary measure” following multiple attacks. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said several drones had entered from Iraq, where Iran-backed militias operate, and that the strikes “caused human injuries and damage.”The kingdom has so far refrained from retaliating after Iraq’s prime minister asked Riyadh to give Baghdad time to take action against those responsible.Saudi Arabia said it “reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, its security, its facilities,” and its inhabitants.Built in the 1980s, the roughly 1,200-km East-West pipeline runs from Saudi Arabia’s oil-producing eastern region to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.The pipeline has become increasingly important during the Iran war as it allows Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has been severely disrupted.The pipeline has carried between 4 million and 5 million barrels of crude a day in recent months, equivalent to around 4% to 5% of global oil supply, according to ship-tracking companies and analysts.An initial assessment by US officials found that pumping stations alongside the pipeline had been hit. Satellite imagery showed fire and thick black smoke rising from at least one pumping station, although it remained unclear how long repairs would take or whether the pipeline itself had been damaged.Saudi Arabia said it had chosen not to respond “at this stage” following the request from Iraq’s prime minister.Iraq condemned the attack and said it would not allow its territory or airspace to be used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia or neighbouring countries. Baghdad also dismissed a military commander after an investigation found that the attack originated from Iraq.Trump also said that he would “love” to see Ireland reunified with British-run Northern Ireland, saying he believed it would eventually happen.“Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified,” Trump told reporters after meeting Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin. “The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually … I think it would be a fantastic thing.”“Now the UK will have something to say about it … but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump added.
