Houthis Claim Drone Attack on Saudi Refinery Amid New Defence Pact
Houthis claim drone strike on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery and attacks on Yemen's Mocha port, days after Riyadh signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it launched a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery on Sunday, an assault that comes just two days after Riyadh signed a new defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan.
The Saudi energy ministry confirmed a fire broke out at the refinery but said it was extinguished without causing any injuries. Authorities are investigating the incident, though the ministry did not specify a cause.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on X that the group used a drone to target the refinery, which processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have previously struck Aramco facilities in Jazan and at Yanbu on the Red Sea.
In a separate statement, Saree said the Houthis also carried out missile and drone strikes on the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Mocha, which is controlled by the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government based in Aden. Three Yemeni government sources said air defences were engaging drones launched towards the port's commercial quay and storage areas. Saree said the strikes targeted Saudi troops and weapons in the area; there was no Saudi comment on the attacks in Yemen.
The refinery had been shut since late July after a Houthi attack damaged its Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle complex and tank farm, according to a consultancy note. Aramco's chief executive said last week that recent attacks had caused some production interruptions but that operations could be restored quickly and had no material financial impact.
The escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which have prompted Iran-allied groups to target Gulf states and energy shipments. In response, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a defence pact on Friday stipulating that an armed attack on any one of them would be treated as an attack on all. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the alliance was a general pledge to support the three allies' security and not directed against any specific country, with support decisions to be made through consultation.