Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia claimed responsibility for another brazen missile attack on a Saudi Aramco oil facility on Monday, leaving no one injured but a fire that raged for 40 minutes, according to reports.
The attack on a petroleum products distribution plant in Jeddah was a sophisticated direct assault on the Kingdom’s energy infrastructure and attempt to damage global oil supply, Saudi Arabia said. The Kingdom’s representatives at the United Nations urged the UN Security Council to “stop the threat” to global energy security, Yemen’s political process and regional security, according to Reuters.
Another attack took place this morning on a Saudi oil tanker while at a Saudi Arabian terminal in the Red Sea about 125 miles north of the country’s border with Yemen. Per Bloomberg, “the cause of the breach was unclear, though the ship was suspected to have been hit by a mine, according to a person familiar with the matter. Crew are safe, no pollution has been reported, and the ship itself is stable, according to the statement, which was distributed by MTI Network for TMS Tankers Ltd.”
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet said the Houthi attacks committed against vital installations target the backbone of the global economy and the security of its supplies.
The attack was “similar” to the one on Aramco’s Abqaiq oil-processing plant and Khurais field in September 2019, an unnamed official told Bloomberg. In that attack, missiles and armed drones temporarily halted about half of Saudi Arabia’s oil-production capacity and briefly caused crude prices to soar.
Saudi Arabia re-asserted its right to defend itself against attacks.
The increase in violence from the Houthis into Saudi territory comes just days after reports that the Kingdom and the Houthis were on the cusp of a “breakthrough” deal through the UN that could include a buffer zone area established between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
