The Houthis of Yemen, who are affiliated with Iran, announced that they attacked the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, the largest refinery in the country, with a ballistic missile. Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for this group, stated that this attack caused a fire in the complex, which also includes a marine terminal and is located next to the Persian Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz.
Impact of the Attack on Oil Production
The Ras Tanura refinery, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, is recognized as one of the main oil production centers in Saudi Arabia. This facility had been temporarily shut down for precautionary measures during the early months of the Iran war. The Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia since last September, opening a new front in the broader conflicts between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
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Saudi Response and Security Situation
Following this attack, Saudi officials have not yet officially confirmed the occurrence of this incident. Most of Saudi Arabia's oil exports are conducted from two main ports, Ras Tanura in the Persian Gulf and Yanbu in the Red Sea, both of which have previously been attacked by the Houthis. A source informed about the fire near the Ras Tanura terminal reported that this fire was controlled in the early morning hours.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have regularly launched missiles and drones towards airports, ports, and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. In this context, Saudi civil defense officials issued an airstrike warning on Tuesday in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition, which is at war with the Houthis in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, announced that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh.
These conflicts have undermined the ceasefire between the coalition and the Houthis that was established under the supervision of the United Nations in 2022. In this regard, countries of the Makkah defense agreement, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, met with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday to help reduce tensions in the Middle East.
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