A major oil refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu was reportedly targeted from the air on Thursday, March 19 – in what appears to be part of a broader regional escalation involving Iranian-linked strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure.
Reuters, citing an industry source, reported that the Saudi Aramco-ExxonMobil SAMREF refinery was the target of an aerial attack, though the impact was described as minimal.
The attack follows a series of strikes on energy facilities in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following US and Israeli attacks on Iranian energy sites.
Strategic oil route under pressure
Yanbu has become a key export hub for Gulf oil shipments after transit through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical global chokepoint through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply typically passes – was halted.
With the strait effectively blocked amid the ongoing conflict, Yanbu and the UAE’s port of Fujairah have served as alternative routes for energy exports.
However, Fujairah has also come under repeated attacks, raising concerns about the security of global oil supply chains.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier issued evacuation warnings for energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, including the Yanbu refinery.
The warning followed a strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, marking a further escalation in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
On Wednesday, QatarEnergy said Iranian missile strikes caused extensive damage to its Ras Laffan facility, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh.