Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said some operations at its massive Ras Tanura refinery on the Gulf coast had been halted on Monday, following an attack that caused a fire at the complex. The Ras Tanura facility along the kingdom’s eastern Gulf coast is home to one of the largest refineries in the entire Middle East and a cornerstone of the kingdom’s energy sector. Earlier, a source familiar with the incident told AFP the attack caused a fire at the Ras Tanura refinery, but the blaze had already been extinguished. A Saudi defense ministry spokesman said two drones had targeted the refinery and been intercepted, according to a statement posted by the Saudi Press Agency on X. “The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Soltvedt in a note on the conflict.
