The Houthis attack Saudi Aramco's oil terminal The Houthis claim to have hit the Saudi energy complex in Ras Tanura, a refinery with a capacity of about 550,000 barrels per day and a loading terminal that handles a large part of the world's oil supply. "The Houthis have made Saudi infrastructure targets for fire with little resistance. From airports to critical energy infrastructure, almost nothing is beyond their reach," Brett Erickson, principal at Obsidian Risk Consultants, told Al-Monitor. "This is an extremely dangerous situation for the global energy market." Saudi forces said they intercepted three ballistic missiles and four drones fired by Houthi forces on Tuesday, without officially confirming any damage. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sari said the Ras Tanura compound had been hit, and heat signatures recorded by a NASA satellite on Tuesday indicated a fire at the Ras Tanura export terminal. A source confirmed to Bloomberg that the facility was damaged and said the fire was out. The extent of the damage is still unclear. France, Britain, Egypt and Pakistan have pledged aid to Saudi Arabia to help it repel Houthi attacks. The U.S. has so far rejected Saudi requests for assistance; the U.S. military is involved in operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and the campaign has reportedly depleted much of the U.S. missile defense arsenal, leaving fewer assets available to provide air defense to U.S. partners. Photo: Ras Tanura oil complex, Saudi Arabia (Copernicus/Sentinel-2).

The Houthis attack Saudi Aramco's oil terminal The Houthis claim to have hit the Saudi energy complex in Ras Tanura, a refinery with a capacity of about 550,000 barrels per day and a loading terminal that handles a large part of the world's oil supply. "The Houthis have made Saudi infrastructure targets for fire with little resistance. From airports to critical energy infrastructure, almost nothing is beyond their reach," Brett Erickson, principal at Obsidian Risk Consultants, told Al-Monitor. "This is an extremely dangerous situation for the global energy market." Saudi forces said they intercepted three ballistic missiles and four drones fired by Houthi forces on Tuesday, without officially confirming any damage. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sari said the Ras Tanura compound had been hit, and heat signatures recorded by a NASA satellite on Tuesday indicated a fire at the Ras Tanura export terminal. A source confirmed to Bloomberg that the facility was damaged and said the fire was out. The extent of the damage is still unclear. France, Britain, Egypt and Pakistan have pledged aid to Saudi Arabia to help it repel Houthi attacks. The U.S. has so far rejected Saudi requests for assistance; the U.S. military is involved in operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and the campaign has reportedly depleted much of the U.S. missile defense arsenal, leaving fewer assets available to provide air defense to U.S. partners. Photo: Ras Tanura oil complex, Saudi Arabia (Copernicus/Sentinel-2).