Yemen's Houthis claim missile attack on Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH — Yemen's Houthi group said on Tuesday it struck the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province with a ballistic missile. Saudi authorities had not commented on the claim, according to Anadolu Agency.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the attack in a post on X. He said the group's forces fired a ballistic missile at the refinery and that the strike caused "massive fires," according to The New Arab. Anadolu reported that Saree also claimed the missile hit its target.

The claim has not been independently confirmed. Neither source reported a Saudi statement on damage at the site.

Coalition says it intercepted missiles

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said earlier on Tuesday that it had shot down three missiles fired by the group towards the Eastern Province, according to The New Arab. It also said it intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh.

Anadolu gave a wider tally. It reported that the coalition said it had intercepted four drones and three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The two reports do not say whether the figures refer to the same set of launches, and the sources do not reconcile them.

Maritime security agency Vanguard said a fire was reported in the Ras Tanura area in the early hours of Tuesday after an attack. "The fire has reportedly been contained, while the extent of damage and any impact on oil-loading operations remain unclear at current," Vanguard said, as quoted by The New Arab.

A resident of Al Khobar, a city south of the Ras Tanura complex, told AFP he heard explosions around dawn and received an alert on his mobile phone. "We got the alert on the mobile and then heard a very loud bang," the resident said.

Explosions in Riyadh

A series of explosions was heard across Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and shook office windows in the city centre, according to The New Arab. A text message alert told residents to seek shelter.

Separately, Saudi Civil Defense activated early warning alerts over a potential threat in Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait, Anadolu reported. It later announced that the danger had passed. It did not say what the threat was.

Egypt's parliament and Houthi response

The attacks came a day after Egypt's parliament authorised defensive military support for Saudi Arabia. The vote followed a request from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to The New Arab. The report said it was not clear exactly what form the support would take.

A Houthi official described the decision as a declaration of war. "It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call 'peace in the region', Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, said in a post on Telegram.

The New Arab also reported that the Houthis said they were "not afraid of any alliance that may be formed."

What is unconfirmed

Several points remain unclear from the available reports. Saudi authorities have not confirmed that the refinery was hit. The extent of any damage is unknown. Vanguard said any effect on oil-loading operations was unclear. The sources do not say whether there were casualties.

The New Arab said the fire at Ras Tanura had reportedly been contained, citing Vanguard. That account has not been confirmed by Saudi officials. Saree's description of large fires also rests on the Houthi statement alone.

Background

The Ras Tanura facility sits on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast. The New Arab describes it as one of the largest refineries in the Middle East and a cornerstone of the kingdom's energy sector. The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day.

It has been targeted repeatedly in strikes blamed on Iran, according to The New Arab. A drone attack in early March forced a partial shutdown of the refinery.

Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Middle East and the world's top crude exporter, has faced weeks of attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis, The New Arab reported. The targets have included oil facilities and civilian sites, among them Riyadh's international airport.

Anadolu reported that the Houthis have stepped up attacks on the kingdom since July. It said missile and drone launches at civilian airports, oil facilities and military sites rose further during October.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Houthis since March 2015, according to Anadolu. The Houthis, who are accused of receiving Iranian support, have controlled the capital Sanaa and other parts of Yemen since September 2014.