Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed early Sunday a fire at the Saudi Aramco Jazan refinery, with no casualties reported. The Houthi movement later claimed responsibility for a drone strike on the facility, according to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel. The claim has not been independently verified.
The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed early Sunday morning that a fire had broken out at the Jazan refinery operated by Saudi Aramco, with firefighting teams extinguishing the blaze and reporting no casualties. The confirmation came at 05:07 Jerusalem, after the facility had been struck overnight.
Hours later, the Houthi movement in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was carried out by a suicide drone in retaliation for Saudi drone flights over Yemeni territory. The Houthi claim, cited by the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel, said the strike achieved a precise hit. The Zioneer reported earlier today on the Houthi claim and the broader context of the incident.
The attack follows a pattern of Houthi strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure. As The Zioneer reported on July 28, the Jazan refinery—a 400,000 barrel-per-day facility—was shut down after a significant Houthi ballistic missile strike on July 25, with repairs expected by mid-August. The current incident appears to be a separate attack on the same facility.
Saudi authorities have not explicitly attributed the fire to an external attack in their official statements; the Houthi claim of responsibility has not been independently verified. The extent of damage to the refinery is not yet clear.
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