Brent crude oil held around $100 a barrel Monday as fighting in Yemen overshadowed signs of easing pressure on global oil supplies. Saudi Aramco chief Amin Nasser warned Monday that global oil stockpiles are “scarily thin,” even as Middle East exports outside Iran reached pre-war highs in September.
Pipeline Damage Reported
The East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, which runs some 700 miles from eastern oil fields to the Yanbu terminal, was struck again Sunday, according to a source cited by AFP. That source said the pipeline stopped flowing after the strike.
Reuters and Bloomberg both reported oil was still moving through the pipeline, citing unnamed sources. The pipeline was shut from Sept. 11 to 22, per Kpler.
Fighting in Yemen
Yemen’s military launched over 1,000 strikes against Houthi targets Monday. A spokesman said forces had taken back control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Houthi-aligned media denied government forces had retaken territory in the area, per Reuters. They also effectively encircled the city of Taiz Sunday.
Fighting near Taiz killed more than 70 people in a single day, per AFP sources. On Friday, 80 combatants were killed, according to AFP.
Iran’s Response
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday there is “no military solution” to the war. He vowed a stronger response if the U.S. chooses military confrontation.
Another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz Sunday, per a U.K. maritime agency.
The Numbers So Far
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Pipeline struck | Sunday |
| Pipeline shut Sept. 11–22 | Per Kpler |
| Brent at $100 | Monday |
| 1,000 Yemeni strikes | Monday |
| Bab el-Mandeb regained | Monday |
| Taiz encircled | Sunday |
| 70 killed near Taiz | Monday |
| 80 combatants killed | Friday |
What This Means for Oil
Middle East exports from nations other than Iran surpassed pre-war levels in September, per Kpler.
But Nasser’s warning points to a deeper problem. Thin stockpiles mean any disruption — a pipeline strike, a tanker attack, a strait closed — could leave the market with little room to absorb the loss.
The war shows no sign of cooling. Yemen’s military pushes against the Houthis, who deny losing ground. Iran’s top diplomat says talks are the only way out. And the pipeline, which carries crude to market, was struck again Sunday.
Peace remains an open question.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs keeping the channels open for diplomacy and compromise between all parties involved, and is against foreign entanglements that could close them down. The situation in Yemen shows how quickly a regional conflict can ripple through global energy markets, and how thin stockpiles make every disruption dangerous. It is a reminder that the best way to keep oil flowing is not through military force but through steady, patient diplomacy.
The paper’s position on foreign affairs is one of restraint. It favours focusing at home and keeping the channels open for trade, diplomacy and compromise, while being sceptical of foreign entanglements and trade wars alike. The strikes on the pipeline, the fighting near Taiz, and the tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz show how easily a local fight can become a global one. The paper wants these channels to stay open so that disputes can be settled without shutting off the world’s supply of oil.
The reader should watch for any move toward a wider military confrontation, whether in Yemen or elsewhere in the region. Every strike, every denial, every vow of retaliation brings the world closer to a market it cannot afford to lose. The paper will continue to report on the conflict and its effects on oil prices, always watching for signs that the channels remain open for peace.
See the video the story is built around at CBS News.
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