Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have attacked a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan, days after Saudi Arabia signed a new defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan.
The Houthis said on Sunday that they used a drone to target the refinery in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed that a fire broke out at the facility but said it was later put out. No injuries were reported, and authorities said they were investigating the incident.
The attack came two days after Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defence agreement under which an armed attack against any of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all.
It was not immediately clear whether Turkey or Pakistan would take part in any Saudi military response to the Houthi attack.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia and shipping routes in the Red Sea since the war between Iran, the United States and Israel began in February.
Last month, the group announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, accusing Riyadh of imposing a siege on Houthi-controlled areas. Saudi Arabia has denied the allegation.
The Jazan refinery, operated by Saudi Aramco, has the capacity to process about 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The Houthis have targeted Aramco facilities in Jazan in previous attacks and have also struck the Yanbu area on the Red Sea.
In a separate attack, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched missiles and drones at the Red Sea port city of Mocha in Yemen.
The port is controlled by Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and lies close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major shipping route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The latest attacks have added to concerns over the security of energy supplies and commercial shipping in the region, coming at a time when efforts are still under way to reach a peace deal between the United States and Iran.
Access to the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the major issues in the negotiations. The waterway is a key route for global oil shipments, while disruptions in the Red Sea have already forced some vessels to take longer and more expensive routes.
Yemeni officials said a separate Houthi attack on the port of Mocha killed seven people and caused serious damage to its infrastructure.
The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council said the latest attacks showed the need for the international community, particularly the United States, to take stronger action against the Houthi threat.
Turkey, however, has said its new defence arrangement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not directed at Iran or any other country.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the three countries would consult each other on the nature and level of assistance required if any member came under attack.
