Houthis launch drone attack on Saudi's Jazan oil refinery

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out a drone attack on the Jazan oil refinery, owned by Saudi state oil company Aramco. The attack comes just two days after Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence pact.

Sunday's attack caused a fire at the refinery, though Saudi authorities said it was quickly brought under control and there were no casualties. Authorities are working to keep the situation under control.

The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack. The group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a message on social media platform X that the Jazan refinery was targeted using drones.

At the same time, the Houthis also claimed to have launched missile and drone attacks on Mokha, a Yemeni port city on the Red Sea. Yahya Saree claimed the attacks targeted Saudi forces and weapons depots in the Mokha area.

However, the Saudi government has not commented on the Houthi attack in Yemen. Yemeni government sources claimed the air defence system intercepted several drones heading towards commercial jets and warehouses.

Mokha port is under the control of forces loyal to the Aden government, which is backed by the Saudi-led coalition. The port had also been targeted by the Houthis on July 27.

According to IIR Consultancy, the Jazan refinery had suspended operations after being damaged in that attack. The new drone attack has now struck the refinery again.

Last month, as negotiations over the terms of a peace process between Iran and the US continued, the Houthis announced a naval blockade in the Red Sea against Saudi Arabia.

Since February 28, Iran and its allied Shia armed groups have been carrying out missile and drone attacks on various facilities in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, raising fresh concerns over regional security and energy supplies.

Amid fears of disruption to global energy supplies, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence pact on Friday. Under the pact, any attack on one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three.

However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the pact is not directed against Iran or any specific country. It is a general joint security commitment between the three countries.

Authorities have said that following the recent Houthi attacks, what kind of assistance Pakistan and Turkey will provide to Saudi Arabia's security will be determined based on the situation and joint discussions.

The new drone attack has raised fresh questions not only over the security of Saudi Arabia's oil facilities but also over the energy infrastructure of the entire Gulf region and the recent defence equation.

Source: Reuters