- Saudi Aramco halted operations at Ras Tanura refinery after a drone strike incident
- An Iranian drone reportedly caused a fire at the Ras Tanura oil facility early Monday
- Ras Tanura refinery processes 550,000 barrels per day and connects to the largest oil port
Saudi Aramco has halted operations at its Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia after a drone strike in the area, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Aramco's media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the report added.
An Iranian drone attack targeted the facility early on Monday, sparking the fire at the site, Turkiye Today reported. According to The Mirror, thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the refinery after the reported drone strike.
Turkiye Today also shared visuals purportedly showing the aftermath of the reported strike, with large plumes of smoke visible in the footage. The outlet described the incident as “unconfirmed reports” of Iranian drone strikes on Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
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Separately, Reuters said that the “small, isolated fire” at the Ras Tanura refining facility was brought under control following what appeared to be a drone strike earlier in the morning.
Ras Tanura is Saudi Aramco's oldest and most complex refinery, with a combined processing capacity of 550,000 barrels per day of crude oil and condensates.
The refinery is integrated with the Ras Tanura Port, the world's largest crude oil export terminal. The port serves as a key outlet for Saudi oil shipments bound for Asia, Europe and the United States.
Brent Crude Prices Surge
Brent crude prices increased amid concerns of supply disruptions due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude oil prices increased nearly 10% to briefly surpass the $80 per barrel on Monday. Brent futures stood at $78.24 a barrel, 7.37% at 00:54 GMT.
Oil prices have surged amid escalating tensions linked to the conflict in Iran. Tehran launched drone strikes targeting multiple countries in the Middle East after US and Israeli attacks on the country that killed its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Saudi Embassy Rejects Washington Post Claim On Iran Strikes
In a separate development, The Washington Post reported that US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran following weeks of lobbying by Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The claim was firmly rejected by Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington, DC. Fahad Nazer, spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, said in a post on X, “The Kingdom of #Saudi Arabia has been consistent in supporting diplomatic efforts to reach a credible deal with Iran. At no point in all our communication with the Trump Administration did we lobby the President to adopt a different policy.”
Trump told The New York Times that the assault could continue for “four or five weeks.”
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