Saudi Arabia's Largest Oil Refinery Hit By Iran Drones As Middle East Plunges Into Chaos
Saudi state television says there were no casualties from the fire and its decision was a precautionary one.
Published : March 2, 2026 at 3:10 PM IST
Dubai: Saudi Aramco temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam on Monday after it was targeted by Iranian drones. It is the largest oil refinery in the Kingdom and one of the largest in the world, with a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.
Online videos from the site appeared to show thick black smoke rising after the attack. Even successfully intercepted drones cause debris that can spark fires and injure those on the ground.
Saudi state television reported the decision, citing what it described as an "official source." It added that there were no casualties from the fire, and its decision was a precautionary one. The refinery has a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.
Earlier in the day, debris fell on Kuwait's Ahmadi oil refinery, injuring two workers, after drones were shot down, the state-run KUNA news agency reported.
Iran’s decision to expand its attacks to major regional oil infrastructure adds a new element to the war gripping the Middle East, directly targeting the lifeblood of the area's economy.
“The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, told Associated Press.
“An extended period of uncertainty lies ahead as Iran seeks to impose a heavy economic cost by putting tankers, regional energy infrastructure, trade routes and U.S. security partners in the crosshairs,” he added.
Already, Iran has been threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes. Sascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, told Associated Press that Iran's goal in hitting energy infrastructure is to 'cause global backlash and impose costs" on the US president.
So far, however, “this is not the wholesome destruction of critical infrastructure the Iranian regime seeks,” Bruchmann said.
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