Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it attacked Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery on Sunday, shortly after Saudi Arabia entered a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
According to Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, the group used a drone to target the refinery located in southwestern Saudi Arabia, near the border with Yemen. Saree reported the strikes also hit Saudi troops and weapons arsenals in the area. The Houthis have previously targeted Aramco facilities in Jazan, which processes approximately 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily, as well as other sites like the port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea. They also claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on Mocha, a Yemeni port controlled by the internationally recognized government backed by Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry acknowledged a fire had broken out at the Jazan refinery but said it was extinguished without injuries. Officials have not confirmed the cause of the incident. On July 27, Aramco temporarily shut the refinery following damage from a Houthi attack that affected the plant’s Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle complex and tank farm area, according to industry sources.
Three Yemeni government sources reported that Saudi air defenses engaged Houthi-launched drones aimed at commercial and storage facilities at the Mocha port. Riyadh has not commented on the reported attacks within Yemen.
The recent escalation follows the Houthis declaring a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in July, a move they justified as a response to what they described as a Saudi siege—a claim rejected by Riyadh. This maritime blockade and ongoing cross-border hostilities are part of a broader regional conflict intensified after a February 28 US-Israeli strike on Iran, which has fueled retaliatory actions by Iran and its allied Shiite groups against Saudi Arabia and Gulf states.
Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser acknowledged last week that recent attacks had caused some interruptions in production but expressed confidence in a rapid restoration of operations. He stated that the assaults had not resulted in significant operational or financial damage.
In response to the heightened instability and attacks, Saudi Arabia formalized a security alliance with Sunni Muslim allies Turkey and Pakistan on Friday. The pact establishes collective deterrence, stating that an armed attack against one member will be considered an attack against all. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that the alliance was not aimed specifically at Iran or any other country but was intended as a general security commitment among the three nations. He added that any decision on the level and form of mutual support in case of an attack would be resolved through consultations among the members.
The formation of this tripartite defense agreement comes amid persistent tensions and ongoing conflict in the region, which have disrupted global energy supplies and increased geopolitical uncertainty.