Fire Extinguished At Aramco Jizan Facility After Houthi Drone Claim; No Casualties Reported

Saudi authorities say a fire at an Aramco facility in the coastal city of Jizan has been extinguished and that no casualties were reported. The Saudi Ministry of Energy posted on X that the competent authorities are completing necessary procedures to deal with the incident, but officials did not immediately identify the cause of the blaze.

Later on Sunday, Yemen's Houthi rebels — who are backed by Iran — claimed responsibility for the attack. The facility lies on the Red Sea near the Saudi border and is one of several energy sites the group has said it has targeted in recent weeks.

Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthi-led authorities in Sanaa, wrote on X that the group "succeeded in targeting the Aramco refinery in Jizan with a drone, and the strike was precise." He said the action was in response to alleged Saudi breaches of the airspace over Saada and Hajjah.

There was no immediate comment from Riyadh on the Houthi claim. Al Jazeera said it had contacted the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment. Saudi authorities and Aramco have not confirmed the cause of the fire beyond reporting it has been extinguished and that emergency procedures are under way.

Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said last week that recent attacks on company facilities had caused some production interruptions but that he expected operations could be restored quickly and that the incidents had "no material operational or financial impact."

Wider Context

The strikes are adding pressure to a fragile 2022 truce in the conflict between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. The Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014 and last month announced a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, a move that threatens traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

On the same day, the Houthis also claimed an attack on "Saudi enemy" troops and equipment in the Yemeni port city of al-Makha, saying the operation involved a "large number of ballistic missiles and drones." Saudi authorities had not immediately responded to that claim either.

Separately, Riyadh last Friday signed a defence pact with Turkiye and Pakistan amid heightened regional tensions linked to ongoing conflicts in the region. Saudi officials have also previously blamed Iran-aligned groups in Iraq for attacks on the kingdom's oil infrastructure.

What We Know: The fire at the Aramco Jizan site is out and there were no casualties; the Houthis have claimed a drone strike; investigations and security procedures are ongoing, and authorities have not confirmed the cause.