“We carried out several drone and ballistic missile strikes,” including an “Aramco facility in Jeddah and vital facilities in Riyadh,” the Houthi rebels said in a statement.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-backed rebels confirmed the attack, which came on the eve of the seventh anniversary of its military intervention in Yemen’s brutal civil war. In a statement, the coalition said the fire caused by the attack “has been controlled and has not caused any casualties.”
He also claimed that the attack, which targeted Aramco “petroleum product tanks,” “will have no impact on activities in the city of Jeddah”alluding to the Formula 1 circuit.
The smoke was visible from the autodrome of that city, where several pilots participated in free practice this Friday. Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen said he could smell the fire as he was driving. “I have a burning smell… is it my car?” the Dutchman asked over the team radio.
The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a total of 16 attacks against various targets, including a power station in Jizan, on the border with Yemen, which was set on fire.
The attacks come against a backdrop of rising oil prices since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and world supplies have been disrupted as Russia is hit by Western sanctions.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, warned on Monday of the risk of a drop in its production after several attacks that occurred days before claimed by the Houthis.
One of them targeted an Aramco refinery in the Red Sea industrial city of Yanbu, some 100km north of Jeddah, forcing the company to “temporarily” cut output and draw on inventory to compensate.
The Foreign Ministry again accused Iran of “continuing to supply drones and missiles” to the Houthis and called on the international community to get involved in finding solutions.
“Saudi Arabia will not take responsibility for oil supply shortages on world markets in light of attacks on its oil facilities,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The Houthi attacks “affect the kingdom’s production and its ability to meet its commitments, clearly threatening the security and stability of supplies in world markets,” he insisted.
Western countries have been putting pressure since the start of the Ukraine crisis on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, to increase its production.
But the Gulf monarchy has remained deaf to these calls, faithful to its commitments to the OPEC alliance, which includes Russia, the world’s second largest oil exporter.
The second free practice session of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia was slightly delayed after the attacks and was dominated, and both were dominated by the Monegasque charles leclerc (Ferrari), winner last weekend in Bahrain.
Team bosses met with Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali to discuss the situation. “He has informed them that the weekend will take place as planned and that the security of the event has been a priority for the authorities prior to this incident,” said a spokesman for the category.
“He will keep them updated on any new information and will certainly meet with the team leaders again in the evening to pass on any new news,” he added.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
