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Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Saudi Aramco Jazan refinery, fire extinguished

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery on Sunday.
  • Saudi Arabia's energy ministry confirmed a fire at the refinery, which was later extinguished, but did not specify the cause.
  • The refinery processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily, and no injuries were reported.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed on Sunday they had attacked Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery. The claim came two days after Saudi Arabia signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan.

The Saudi energy ministry said a fire had broken out at the refinery that was later extinguished, without saying what caused the fire.

— Saudi energy ministryConfirming the incident at the Jazan refinery.

The Saudi energy ministry confirmed that a fire had broken out at the refinery, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The blaze was later extinguished, but the ministry did not state the cause. The facility processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Officials reported no injuries.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on X that the refinery was targeted with a drone. This is not the first time the group has struck Aramco sites in Jazan or Yanbu on the Red Sea. The Houthis have been targeting Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states since February 28, following what they described as an escalation by the U.S. and Israel.

They had struck Aramco sites before in Jazan and Yanbu on the Red Sea.

— Yahay SareeDescribing the Houthi's history of attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

Aramco's CEO Amin Nasser previously noted that recent attacks had caused some production interruptions but expressed confidence in swift restoration. He asserted that the attacks had no significant operational or financial impact. The ongoing escalations have disrupted global energy supplies and affected the world economy, prompting Saudi Arabia to form an alliance with Turkey and Pakistan on Friday to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression.

The attacks had no material operational or financial impact.

— Amin NasserAssessing the impact of previous attacks on Aramco facilities.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan clarified that the new alliance is not directed against any specific country, including Iran, but serves as a general pledge to support the security of the three allies. In late July, the Jazan refinery, situated near the Yemeni border, was temporarily shut down after a Houthi attack damaged its Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) complex and tank farm area. The refinery produces gasoline and ultra-light sulfur diesel. The Houthis also declared a naval blockade in the Red Sea last month, citing a Saudi siege of Yemen, which Riyadh denies.

The new alliance was not directed against Iran or any other country, but rather served as a general pledge to support the three allies' security.

— Hakan FidanExplaining the purpose of the new alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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