Yemen's Houthi Rebels Strike Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura Oil Terminal

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have hit the Saudi energy complex at Ras Tanura, a gigantic refinery and loading terminal that handles an outsize share of the world's oil supply. It is the latest strike deep into the heart of Saudi territory, and it targeted one of the most valuable locations in the kingdom's energy-centric economy.

"The Houthis have turned Saudi infrastructure into target practice with remarkably little resistance. From airports to critical energy infrastructure, virtually nothing appears beyond their reach," Obsidian Risk Advisors principal Brett Erickson told Al-Monitor. "That is an extraordinarily dangerous position for the global energy market to be in."

Saudi forces claimed to have intercepted three ballistic missiles and four drones launched by Houthi forces on Tuesday, without officially confirming any damage. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed a hit on the Ras Tanura complex, and heat signatures observed by NASA FIRMS satellite sensing on Tuesday indicate a fire at the Ras Tanura export terminal. A source confirmed to Bloomberg that the site had been hit, and said that the fire had been contained. The extent of any damage is as-yet unclear, and the source did not confirm additional claims of a strike on Ras Tanura's refinery.

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