RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it attacked Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery with a drone on Sunday, August 9, two days after Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan amid heightened regional tensions linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
- The Houthis said they targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery with a drone.
- Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said a fire at the refinery was extinguished and there were no injuries.
- The Jazan facility has a processing capacity of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
- The Houthis also claimed missile and drone attacks on the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Mocha, with seven deaths reported by their military spokesperson.
Houthi attack targets Jazan refinery
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group used a drone to target the Jazan refinery, a Saudi Aramco facility in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The refinery has previously been targeted by the Houthis, who have also carried out attacks against Aramco facilities in Yanbu on the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed that a fire broke out at the refinery but said it was later extinguished. The ministry reported no injuries and said authorities were handling the incident, without attributing the fire to a particular cause.
The attack comes as the region faces continuing security risks affecting energy infrastructure and maritime routes. The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last month, saying it was in response to what they described as a Saudi siege, an allegation Riyadh rejects.
Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact raises regional stakes
The refinery incident followed a defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on Friday. The pact provides that an armed attack against any of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three.
The agreement was presented as a measure to strengthen collective deterrence and security cooperation amid growing regional instability. However, it was not immediately clear whether Turkey or Pakistan would become involved in any Saudi response to the latest Houthi attacks.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said when the alliance was announced that it was not directed against Iran or any other country. He said the three partners would consult on the level and form of assistance required if one of them came under attack.
Mocha port also hit in separate Houthi strikes
In a separate statement, Saree said Houthi forces conducted missile and drone strikes against Mocha, a Yemeni Red Sea port controlled by the Aden-based government. The port is located near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime passage connecting the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Three Yemeni government sources told Reuters that air defences were engaging drones launched toward the port’s commercial quay and storage areas. Saree said the strikes were aimed at Saudi troops and a weapons arsenal in the area.
The Houthi military spokesperson said seven people were killed in the attack. Yemen’s Transportation Ministry said the strikes caused severe damage to the port’s infrastructure and described the facility as an important civilian site supporting commercial and maritime activity.
Jazan refinery had been shut in late July
The latest attack also comes after the Jazan refinery was shut in late July, according to the information provided in the report. The facility’s location and capacity make it an important part of Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure.
Any prolonged disruption involving energy facilities or maritime routes could add to concerns over the security of regional oil supplies. The Red Sea and nearby waterways have already faced disruption from repeated attacks.
Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz remain key concerns
The attacks are unfolding alongside wider tensions surrounding two strategically important maritime routes. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait provides a connection between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while the Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global energy shipments.
According to the report, the possibility of disruption at Bab el-Mandeb could remove an alternative route available to Saudi Arabia if the Strait of Hormuz were closed. Ongoing uncertainty around Hormuz has also complicated U.S.-Iran negotiations aimed at reaching a peace agreement.
Regional response remains uncertain
Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Council head Rashad al-Alimi briefed U.S. Mission to Yemen Chargé d’Affaires Neil Hop on the latest developments. Al-Alimi called for the international community, particularly the United States, to address what he described as the sources and instruments of the Houthi threat rather than focusing only on containment.
Saudi authorities have not publicly attributed the refinery fire to the Houthi attack, while no Saudi comment was reported on the strikes in Yemen. Pakistan’s military, air force, prime minister’s office and foreign and information ministries did not respond to requests for comment, and Turkey’s government also did not immediately comment on the implications of the refinery attack.
The latest developments therefore leave the regional security picture unsettled, with attacks on energy infrastructure and Red Sea facilities occurring shortly after the announcement of the new Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence arrangement.
