Houthi Rebels Claim Missile Strike on Giant Saudi Refinery at Jazan

NASA FIRMS overlay showing unusual thermal signatures on the eastern half of the refinery mega-complex (NASA)

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have attacked the port city of Jazan, Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the strike, but a Saudi civil defense alert was issued for Jazan on early Saturday and bystander videos purporting to show fire damage are actively circulating.

NASA FIRMS fire monitoring data shows five substantial thermal anomalies - infrared signatures not present in previous time periods - located in the eastern half of the Jazan refinery, all within the last 3-6 hours. FIRMS infrared detections may stem from natural or routine events, like flaring, but the new cluster at Jazan is large in scale and has not occurred before at that location.

The Jazan Refinery is one of the world's most advanced mega-scale integrated refining complexes. It can process about 400,000 barrels of crude per day, enough to take in four percent of all Aramco oil and liquids production on an ordinary day.

The refinery features the world's largest industrial gas plant, and it is powered by the world's largest integrated gasification combined-cycle plant. The $12 billion plant burns low-value refinery byproducts to generate power, and is rated for 3.8 gigawatts - more than the largest offshore wind farm in the world. It also delivers hydrogen gas and steam for refining operations.

Saudi and Houthi forces have resumed trading fire across their shared border after four years of relative peace, prompted by the Houthi "blockade" linked to the U.S.-Iran conflict. Earlier Friday, Saudi missiles hit targets in Hodeidah and on Kamaran Island, reportedly damaging a Houthi naval installation and a military camp, according to AFP.