Saudi Arabia Contains Fire at Key Refinery After Houthi Missile Strike

550,000 barrels per day is the processing capacity of the Ras Tanura oil refinery, the largest facility in Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it struck the complex with a ballistic missile. The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the impact caused a fire at the site. The refinery is situated on the Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz, and includes a shipping terminal.

Saudi authorities did not confirm the strike on the refinery. However, Bloomberg News reported that a person familiar with the matter said Saudi Arabia contained a fire near the Ras Tanura terminal. The facility has previously been shut for precautionary measures during the early months of the Iran war. Nearly all of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports move through two main ports: Ras Tanura and Yanbu on the Red Sea. The Houthis have attacked both locations in the past.

The Houthis claimed additional attacks on Tuesday. Saree said a ballistic missile hit the Saudi Ministry of Defense. The group also claimed a drone struck Abha International Airport. Furthermore, the Houthis said they attacked two military transport jets at Najran Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait. Saudi forces did not immediately confirm these specific hits on military assets.

The Saudi-led coalition announced that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh. Civil defense authorities issued a brief air raid alert in the capital on Tuesday afternoon. The coalition is fighting the Houthis in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The conflict has disrupted the 2022 UN-brokered truce between the two sides.

On the ground, the Houthis said they repelled an advance by Saudi-backed forces near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This vital Red Sea shipping route has been a focal point of the conflict. Earlier this month, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces pushed the Houthis out of coastal areas seized in September. Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that Saudi strikes hit the Yemeni city of Mocha, a claim Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed.

The escalation in hostilities has heightened the risk of a wider regional conflict. This development comes eight months after the Iran war began. Diplomatic efforts continue alongside the fighting. On Monday, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met with Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss reducing regional tensions. In Egypt, parliament authorized the military to help defend Saudi Arabia if requested, as the country considers joining a mutual defense pact with the three nations.