Riyadh, Mar 2 — Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco on Monday shut its Ras Tanura Refinery after a drone strike hit the facility, marking a sharp escalation in the widening West Asia conflict triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran.
An industry source said the refinery — which has a capacity of about 550,000 barrels per day and serves as a major crude export terminal on the Gulf coast — was taken offline as a precautionary measure.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry spokesperson told Al Arabiya that “two drones were intercepted at the facility, with debris causing a limited fire,” adding there were no injuries and the situation was under control.
The closure has intensified concerns over global oil supplies as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply after vessels were attacked near the chokepoint on Sunday. Roughly a fifth of global oil consumption passes through the waterway. Brent crude futures jumped nearly 10 per cent amid supply fears.
“The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, Principal Middle East Analyst at Verisk Maplecroft.
“The attack is also likely to move Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf states closer to joining U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran,” he added.
The strike comes amid ongoing hostilities following joint U.S.–Israeli air operations targeting Iranian sites. Iran has since launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. bases in Gulf countries and Israeli targets, widening the confrontation across the region.
Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.