Saudi Halts Part of Ras Tanura Refinery After Drone Attack
Saudi Arabia has suspended some operations at its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone attack that sparked a fire at the facility, authorities said on Monday.
The kingdom’s energy ministry confirmed that certain operational units were shut down as a precaution, but stressed that there was no disruption to petroleum supplies in the domestic market. The statement was carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Located on the eastern Gulf coast, the Ras Tanura complex is one of the largest refineries in the Middle East and a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, with a production capacity of about 550,000 barrels per day. It also serves as one of the world’s major oil export terminals.
According to a defence ministry spokesman, two drones targeted the refinery but were intercepted. A source familiar with the incident said the attack caused a fire, which was later extinguished.
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The development comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf. Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, described the incident as a significant escalation, warning that critical energy infrastructure in the region was increasingly vulnerable. He said the attack could push Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states closer to aligning with United States and Israeli military actions against Iran.
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A Gulf source also disclosed that Iranian missiles aimed at an air base near Riyadh were intercepted. The base reportedly hosts United States personnel and has been targeted repeatedly in recent days.
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of carrying out strikes on its territory and warned that it reserves the right to defend itself. In recent years, Saudi oil installations have been attacked by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, including a 2022 drone strike on the YASREF refinery in Yanbu and the 2019 assaults on Aramco facilities that temporarily cut the kingdom’s crude output by half.
