Video Shows Saudi Red Sea Oil Terminal Ablaze After Fresh Drone Attack

Video has emerged of the aftermath of yet another Yemeni Houthi drone and missile attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. A Houthi military statement has since confirmed it was behind the sabotage operation targeting key Saudi sites.

In the early hours of Friday a statement from the Saudi Oil Ministry confirmed that an oil terminal on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast was struck by bomb-laden drones out of Yemen. 

BREAKING: Projectile attack sparks fire at Saudi oil terminal: energy ministry (AFP) – unconfirmed video from Saudi Arabia: pic.twitter.com/lh70BgBufq

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 25, 2021

As a result an oil terminal in Jizan, which lies just north of the Sauid-Yemen border, was engulfed in fire but which left no casualties. As cited in state-run SPA, a Saudi spokesman condemned the “cowardly attack against vital installations”.

The statement further underscored that these ongoing and ramped-up attacks, multiple of which have occurred within just the past month, “not only target the Kingdom, but also petroleum exports, the stability of energy supply to the world, freedom of world trade, as well as the global economy.”

Unconfirmed social media videos which circulated in the aftermath showed flames shooting high over the Jizan facility. 

5 ثواني.. لمفعول المقذوف😉
على محطة توزيع المنتجات البترولية#السعودية #جازان_الان #جازان pic.twitter.com/IAbgWx8tVE

— المرتضى المتوكل (@almortadha_) March 25, 2021

Video: Explosion in Jizan:
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy: A fire broke out in some tanks of the petroleum products station in #Jizan, as a result of bombing from #Yemen. Nijran has been targeted with six Qasef 2k drones. pic.twitter.com/fPPColzHRI

— Terror Alarm (@terror_alarm) March 26, 2021

The port city has actually been targeted many times, and has a new high-tech refinery which is described as follows: “Jizan is home to a new refinery and port facilities for the energy giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co. The refinery, with a capacity of 400,000 barrels a day, sent its first shipment abroad last year.”

As MarketWatch notes: “Benchmark Brent crude BRNK21, 3.54% rose to over $62 a barrel in early trading Friday after the attack. Energy prices have risen recently off growing demand as coronavirus vaccinations increase and Egypt’s Suez Canal remains closed due to a massive container ship wedged across the vital waterway.”

Later in the day Yemen’s Houthis took responsibility for the Jizan attack while also claiming others in a broader and “successful” multi-pronged operation…

The Yemeni Armed Forces struck Aramco in Ras Al-Tanura, Yanbu, Rabegh, and Jizan. Also attacked King Abdul Aziz’s base in Al-Dammam.
Several military and vital targets were also struck in Aseer and Najran.

I total, 18 drones and 8 ballistic missiles were used in the operation. https://t.co/mCAUU9jfrJ pic.twitter.com/G4fDgX7Foz

— 🇵🇸 Ali 🇱🇧 (@allushiii_new) March 26, 2021

As we detailed at the start of this week, the Saudi military announced it’s taking additional steps to protect its oil installations. It initiated within past days the “Confrontation 4” joint exercises which were geared specifically toward raising “readiness” to thwart future “terrorist attacks” on Saud energy and resource infrastructure.

This comes as fears grow that another major “Iran-sponsored attack” on Saudi oil processing sites, such as occurred with the major 2019 Abqaiq–Khurais attack, could cause the price of crude to skyrocket.