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

On August 9, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for attacking Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery, though a fire had already been extinguished by that point. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry confirmed the incident, stating that the refinery processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily in southwestern Saudi Arabia. However, the cause of the fire was not disclosed, and no injuries were reported.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahay Saree announced the attack via X, noting that they had previously targeted Aramco facilities in Jazan and Yanbu on the Red Sea. This attack followed Iran and its allied Shi'ite Muslim groups' ongoing bombardments of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, as well as their blockade of their energy shipments, since the U.S. and Israel launched a major escalation against Iran on February 28.

Aramco CEO Amin Nasser mentioned earlier that the recent attacks had caused minor production disruptions, but he remained optimistic about swiftly restoring operations. These escalating conflicts disrupted global energy supplies and caused significant economic turmoil, leading to Saudi Arabia's formation of an alliance with Turkey and Pakistan on Friday.

The purpose of this pact is to enhance collective deterrence against aggression, with an agreement that an armed attack on any one of the signatories would be viewed as an attack on all. The alliance does not specifically target Iran but serves as a general commitment to protect the security of the three nations. On July 27, Aramco closed the Jazan refinery following an attack by Houthi militants that damaged its Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) complex and tank farm, according to IIR consultancy, which reported the incident to Reuters.

The refinery also generates gasoline and ultra-light sulfur diesel. The Houthi group declared a naval blockade in the Red Sea last month, claiming it was in response to Saudi Arabia's siege of Yemen, a claim Riyadh denies.