Yemen's Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco's refinery in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthi rebels asserted responsibility for an attack on Saudi Aramco's refinery in Jazan, located in the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning. The Saudi Arabian Energy Ministry reported that firefighters managed to extinguish a fire that erupted early at the facility, and the relevant authorities are currently handling the aftermath.

The reason behind the fire remains undisclosed by the ministry. Jazan is situated along the Red Sea, near the border with Yemen. The refinery processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily and manufactures refined products, including gasoline and ultra-light sulfur diesel.

In July, the Houthi terrorists launched an attack on the same refinery, causing damage to the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) complex and the tank farm area. Aramco subsequently shut down the refinery in response to the assault, as per a note from consultancy IIR obtained by Reuters. The Houthi group claimed earlier that they had targeted Aramco installations in Jazan and Yanbu, raising concerns about the potential for heightened threats to Red Sea shipping and Saudi oil infrastructure, which could exacerbate global disruption arising from the US-led war against Iran and Iranian attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the recent attacks on Aramco's facilities, causing some production disruptions, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser expressed confidence that operations could be restored swiftly. He affirmed that the attacks had minimal material operational or financial consequences. In a separate development, the Houthis imposed a naval blockade in the Red Sea last month, accusing Saudi Arabia of besieging Yemen, a claim Riyadh has denied.