Saudi would target “Iranian oil facilities if Iran mounts a concerted attack on Aramco

AFP | Riyadh

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Saudi Arabia's military raised its readiness levels after multiple attacks by Iran, a source close to the army told AFP yesterday, while another warned of a possible military response if its oil infrastructure is targeted.

The massive Ras Tanura refinery on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast went into partial shutdown on Monday after a strike by drones, three days into the Middle East war.

The complex run by the Saudi state oil giant Aramco is home to one of the largest refineries in the entire Middle East and a cornerstone of the kingdom's energy sector. The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day.

"The Saudi army has raised its readiness to full alert," the source close to the military told AFP after the incident.

Earlier, another source familiar with the incident at the refinery told AFP the attack caused a fire at the Ras Tanura, but the blaze was extinguished.

"It depends if this is seen as a direct attack on Aramco by the Iranian leadership or a rogue drone that just came close," a source close to the Saudi government told AFP Monday.

"At this stage I think Saudi will watch and wait."

Military retaliation would be a possible option if Iran were seen as launching a targeted campaign against the kingdom's oil installations.

Saudi Arabia would target "Iranian oil facilities if Iran mounts a concerted attack on Aramco", the source said.

A Saudi defence ministry spokesman later confirmed that two drones had targeted the refinery and been intercepted, according to a statement posted by the Saudi Press Agency on X.

The complex also serves as one of the world's biggest oil ports.

Near the capital, Riyadh, Iranian missiles targeting an air base were also intercepted, a Gulf source briefed on the matter told AFP.

The base houses US personnel and this is the third time it has been targeted in three consecutive days.