Yemen's Houthi Rebels Strike Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura Oil Terminal
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have hit the Saudi energy complex at Ras Tanura, a gigantic refinery and loading terminal that handles an outsize share of the world's oil supply. It is the latest strike deep into the heart of Saudi territory, and it targeted one of the most valuable locations in the kingdom's energy-centric economy.
"The Houthis have turned Saudi infrastructure into target practice with remarkably little resistance. From airports to critical energy infrastructure, virtually nothing appears beyond their reach," Obsidian Risk Advisors principal Brett Erickson told Al-Monitor. "That is an extraordinarily dangerous position for the global energy market to be in."
Saudi forces claimed to have intercepted three ballistic missiles and four drones launched by Houthi forces on Tuesday, without officially confirming any damage. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed a hit on the Ras Tanura complex, and heat signatures observed by NASA FIRMS satellite sensing on Tuesday indicate a fire at the Ras Tanura export terminal. A source confirmed to Bloomberg that the site had been hit, and said that the fire had been contained. The extent of any damage is as-yet unclear, and the source did not confirm additional claims of a strike on Ras Tanura's refinery.
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In addition to the attack on the principal Saudi loading port on the Gulf, the Houthis have attempted to strike Riyadh's international airport multiple times this week, as well as the vulnerable and strategically-vital East-West Pipeline. Previous strikes temporarily disabled the pipeline by damaging pumping stations; Saudi Aramco was able to reactivate it at a reduced flow rate within days, and is said to have a large stockpile of spare parts for its pump systems to swiftly reconstitute export capacity.
France, Britain, Egypt and Pakistan have all pledged varying levels of assistance to help Saudi Arabia fend off Houthi strikes. So far, the Trump administration has declined Saudi requests for aid; the U.S. military is actively engaged in operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and that campaign has reportedly expended the majority of America's missile-interceptor stockpile, leaving less available to provide an air-defense umbrella for U.S. partners.
