A large plume of smoke and fire was seen rising near an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Saturday, as tensions escalate between Riyadh and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group.
The incident comes against the backdrop of an intensifying conflict in the region, with the Houthis stepping up attacks targeting Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.
Reuters reported that there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities regarding the reported fire. Saudi Aramco also did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
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There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's reported fire. It was also not immediately clear what caused the blaze or whether the Aramco facility itself had been damaged.
The development comes after the Houthis said last week that they had carried out attacks targeting Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu using missiles and drones.
Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia had said at the time that its forces intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis towards the Taif and Yanbu areas. Riyadh did not report any damage to Aramco facilities following those attacks.
The reported incident in Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia faces heightened security risks around its critical energy infrastructure. Aramco, one of the world's largest oil companies, operates major oil production, processing and distribution assets across the Kingdom.
The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have previously targeted Saudi territory during the long-running Yemen conflict. Energy infrastructure has been a particular focus of attacks, raising concerns over potential disruptions to regional oil supplies and markets.
Saturday's reported fire, however, has not been officially linked to a Houthi attack, and there was no immediate evidence establishing the cause of the incident.
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The development will be closely watched by energy markets given Saudi Arabia's central role in global crude oil production and exports. Any confirmed attack or disruption involving major energy infrastructure could have implications for regional security as well as oil prices.
Earlier AFP reported that powerful explosions were heard in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, with smoke rising over parts of the city amid reports of Saudi airstrikes targeting areas controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi forces.
AFP correspondents in Sanaa reported hearing multiple explosions. One correspondent heard at least five strikes in different parts of the capital, while another witnessed two warplanes firing missiles at targets in the city.
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