Saudi Aramco Helicopter Crashes, Killing 14

Fourteen Saudi citizens died Sunday in the crash of a helicopter belonging to the Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco in Ras Tanura, in the east of the kingdom. The official SPA news agency reported the incident, which occurred early Sunday morning, June 28, 2026, at 6:00 AM.

A source from the Ministry of Energy confirmed the crash and stated that an investigation has been launched to determine the causes of the aircraft's fall. Riyadh has not provided any indication of hostile action, despite recent exchanges of fire between Iran and the United States in the Gulf region since Thursday.

Accidents of this nature are rare. Saudi Aramco operates a fleet of over 60 aircraft, including helicopters that serve more than 300 heliports across the kingdom, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region. Ras Tanura, located on the Persian Gulf, is home to one of the Middle East's largest refineries, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and is a cornerstone of the kingdom's energy sector.

The refinery has been targeted multiple times, including an Iranian drone attack earlier in the conflict that caused a partial shutdown. Bloomberg, citing an anonymous source, reported that activity has since resumed. In April, the Saudi Ministry of Energy stated that "multiple attacks" by Iran in previous weeks had impacted "important energy facilities of the Kingdom," including refineries in Jubail, Ras Tanura, Yanbu, and Riyadh. These strikes reportedly had a "direct impact on the export of refined products to global markets."

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Une source officielle du ministère de l'Énergie a annoncé que dimanche 28 juin 2026, à 6h00, un hélicoptère appartenant à Saudi Aramco s'est écrasé à Ras Tanura. L'accident a coûté la vie aux 14 passagers, tous citoyens saoudiens.