Rubbish Check
CNBC Top News · 25 September 2026
source“Saudi Arabia crude oil exports hit highest level since Iran war began despite pipeline outage”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates CNBC's claim that Saudi crude exports hit "the highest level since the Iran war began" a 2/10 because the 6 million bpd figure and the East-West pipeline outage are both confirmed by Kpler and Reuters, with only a minor omission: sources already told Reuters the pipeline had quietly restarted.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. The headline's core numbers check out against Kpler data and Reuters reporting, and the "despite" framing is defensible since Riyadh's official position is still non-confirmation of the restart. The one soft spot: burying, rather than headlining, that industry sources say the pipeline is already flowing again, which makes the "despite" framing feel a step behind the story rather than wrong.
What actually happened
Saudi Arabia's crude exports climbed to 6 million barrels per day in September, matching the kingdom's 2025 monthly average, after the East-West pipeline was shut following a drone attack. Riyadh compensated by rerouting more crude back through the Strait of Hormuz, using a new US-patrolled shipping lane, even as Iran continues to attack tankers there.
Key facts
- September exports: 6 million bpd, the highest level since the Iran war began about seven months ago, matching the 2025 monthly average.
- Shipments in September have surged nearly 80% over the 3.4 million bpd of crude exported in August.
- Kpler estimates that without the East-West Pipeline, Saudi crude exports could ultimately fall by roughly 3.5-4 million bpd, showing the scale of the risk the recovery offset.
- Hormuz throughput: a seven-day average of 13.2 million bpd on Wednesday, compared with around 17 million bpd before the Iran war disrupted traffic, per Kpler, meaning the strait itself remains well below normal even as Saudi volumes recover.
- Saudi Arabia has restarted operations at its East-West Pipeline and could resume exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu, three sources briefed on the matter said, though Riyadh has not confirmed this publicly.
- Brent spiked toward $110/bbl on the shutdown but has since pulled back as confidence in the workaround grew.
What to watch for
Watch for Saudi Aramco or the Energy Ministry to formally confirm the pipeline restart, since Reuters sources already describe it ramping from low volumes; also watch whether Hormuz traffic keeps climbing toward its pre-war 17 million bpd baseline or plateaus given continuing Iranian attacks on tankers.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
