Houthis Claim Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Refinery

Yemen’s Houthis claimed a ballistic missile strike on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery on Tuesday, while the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles heading toward Riyadh.

The attacks extended a campaign against Saudi energy infrastructure and cities as regional officials pursued talks aimed at containing the wider Middle East conflict.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack on Ras Tanura, on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, triggered “massive fires.”

Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm that the refinery had been struck.

Fire Reported Near Ras Tanura

Maritime security agency Vanguard reported a fire in the Ras Tanura area following an attack early on Tuesday.

Bloomberg separately cited a person familiar with the matter as saying a fire near the terminal had been contained.

“The fire has reportedly been contained, while the extent of damage and any impact on oil-loading operations remain unclear at current,” Vanguard said.

Ras Tanura combines a refinery capable of processing 550,000 barrels a day with an oil export terminal. It and Yanbu, on the Red Sea, handle nearly all Saudi oil exports.

The refinery previously suspended operations for a period during the early months of the Iran war as a precaution.

A resident of Al Khobar, south of Ras Tanura, told AFP that a mobile warning was followed by a loud explosion around dawn.

Missiles Intercepted Over the Kingdom

Explosions also rattled windows in central Riyadh, where residents received instructions to take shelter. Civil defense authorities briefly activated an air raid warning on Tuesday afternoon.

The coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles directed at the capital.

In separate operations, it reported destroying three ballistic missiles launched toward the Eastern Region and four drones heading toward the Southern Region.

Those drone interceptions were distinct from the reported attack on Riyadh.

Civil defense alerts covering the Eastern Region and Kharj governorate were subsequently lifted.

Diplomatic Efforts Face Renewed Pressure

The latest attacks followed Monday’s talks in Tehran involving Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Pakistan’s army chief and Türkiye’s intelligence chief.

The three countries recently signed a mutual defense agreement in Mecca. Their representatives met Iranian officials as part of efforts to reduce regional tensions.

Egypt’s parliament also approved military assistance to defend Saudi Arabia if requested, although the precise form of any support remained unclear.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s political bureau, portrayed the Egyptian decision as a declaration of war and said the Houthis were “not afraid of any alliance that may be formed.”

The group has intensified attacks on Saudi airports, ports and energy installations in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia has increased strikes since Houthi forces seized strategic territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in September.

The renewed hostilities have broken a U.N.-brokered truce agreed in 2022 and opened another front in the wider U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.