+++ News in the Iran War +++: Saudi oil exports under massive pressure

According to a media report, the USA is limiting military protection for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz to certain time windows. The ships were asked to only pass through the strait at set times, reports the Financial Times newspaper, citing emails from the US Naval Coordination Center. Protection from the air has been limited to two daily time windows since the beginning of September. The background is increased Iranian attacks on ships at night. The government in Washington has been offering the support since May to ships using a route along the Omani coast. (rtr)

The expanding conflict in the Middle East is putting massive pressure on the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. After the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the increasing threat to the Bab al-Mandab Strait by the Houthi militia in Yemen, the kingdom also has to shut down an important pipeline following drone attacks. A resulting additional reduction in Saudi exports could cause the price of oil and thus gasoline prices in Germany to rise even further.

The east-west pipeline, which can bring large amounts of oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea bypassing the effectively blocked Strait of Hormuz, was shut down as a precaution after attacks on the line in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on Platform X that night that the drone attack, which was launched from Iraq, had caused damage and injured several people.

It was not revealed who was behind the attack. Some Iranian-backed militias operate in Iraq. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said it would not take any steps against the attackers in Iraq at the request of the neighboring country. First, the Iraqi authorities would have the chance to take measures themselves to avoid future attacks. (dpa)

According to a media report, the talks between Israel and Lebanon planned for next week in Rome will be postponed until October. This is reported by the news portal Axios, citing a US representative. The reason cited was scheduling conflicts with Jewish holidays, a conference in Paris and preparations for the UN General Assembly, according to Axios, citing insiders. According to a post on Platform X, the ambassadors of both countries are scheduled to meet in Washington. (rtr)

Iraq is removing a military commander, according to the prime minister's office. Investigations have shown that the most recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from Iraqi territory. According to the statement, the commander was previously responsible for operations in the southern Iraqi province of Maysan. (rtr)

Iran-allied Houthi rebels have seized Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and strategically important islands, according to Yemeni government sources. The Houthis have thus significantly increased their grip on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which one of the world's most important shipping routes runs.

The Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Both are part of a shipping route that runs from the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, making it the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The Strait of Hormuz, which has been severely affected as a result of the Iran war, is particularly important for trade in oil and liquid natural gas as it connects the resource-rich Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. The Bab al-Mandab, on the other hand, is of great importance for the entire movement of goods and raw materials between Europe and Asia.

The oil price already rose significantly on Friday night. The price for a barrel (159 liters) of Brent crude oil from the North Sea for delivery in November temporarily reached almost 110 US dollars. (dpa)

Iran is planning a meeting of the foreign ministers of Iraq and other Arab Gulf states in Oman on Monday. The aim is to create safe routes for merchant shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. (rtr)