Houthis claimed to have attacked Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, the largest in the kingdom in its fresh strike on its energy infrastructure on the Gulf coast. A fire reportedly broke out near the oil export hub, which was later contained, sources revealed. However, Saudi officials have not confirmed the attack yet.
A report citing an official familiar in the matter said, Saudi Arabia contained fire in its biggest oil terminal in Ras Tanura. Air space in the Eastern province was briefly closed following the attack.
Reports also claim the Iran-backed Houthis launched a drone attack on Saudi Arabia Abqaiq Oil Processing Facility, forcing Saudi Aramco to temporarily suspend its operations and initiate efforts to contain the fire.
Satellite imagery showed Yanbu’s oil infrastructure was targeted, potentially affecting the alternative export route used by Saudi Arabia to bypass the under-tension Strait of Hormuz.
Why is Ras Tanura Important?
Ras Tanura, a region on the Gulf coast in the Eastern Province of the kingdom hosts the largest refinery, crucial facilities for loading oil tankers and a swathe of storage tanks as per reports. It is claimed to be one of the biggest oil export terminals in the world.
Silently operating until now, the hub has gained more weight this year after the conflict with Iran blocked much of the global energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Aramco then began sending most of its consignments from the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure has come under repeated attack from the Houthis in the recent weeks. Earlier, the Iran backed hostile group targeted Aramco headquarter, a major oil field and refineries in the western region of the country.