Ras Tanura’s Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia engulfed by fire after ‘Iranian drone strike’ | World | News
Saudi Aramco halts operations at Ras Tamura refinery (Image: X/@NedretErsanel)
Following the drone attack by Iran, all operations of Saudi Aramco at its refinery in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia were stopped. Reports stated that the fire was later brought under control and isolated.
Located on Saudi Arabia’s east coast along the Gulf, Ras Tanura is one of the main refining centers within the kingdom’s oil infrastructure network. Images on social media show large clouds of smoke rising from the region as conflicts continue to escalate in the Middle East following the murder of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Attacks on Iran created a chill in world markets. Shares opened sharply lower and oil prices rose in Tokyo and Australia early Monday.
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Attacks across the region, including two ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, are disrupting the region’s ability to export oil.
A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, traded at around $79 (£59) a barrel on Sunday night, up nearly 8% from Friday, according to FactSet.
Eight countries that form part of the OPEC+ oil cartel have announced that they will increase crude oil production after US and Israeli forces launched a major attack on Iran.
The country launched retaliatory attacks on Israel and US military facilities around the Gulf, disrupting oil shipments from the region.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), at its meeting scheduled for the Sunday before the war began, announced that it would increase production by 206,000 barrels per day in April; this was more than analysts expected.
Countries that increased production include Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman.
Attacks across the region, including two ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, could restrict countries’ ability to export oil to the rest of the world.
According to energy experts, this will likely cause crude oil and gasoline prices to rise.
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According to Rystad Energy, approximately 15 million barrels of crude oil per day (about 20% of the world’s oil) are transported through the Strait of Hormuz, making it the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.
Iranian leaders say more than 200 people have been killed since the attacks that killed Khamenei and other senior leaders began, while explosions across the country shook windows and sent clouds of smoke into the sky above the capital Tehran.
US military says Iranian missiles resulted in the deaths of three soldiers; these were the first known American casualties in the conflict.
Israeli rescue services said nine people were killed and 28 injured in an attack on a synagogue in the town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the total death toll in the country to 11. Police said 11 people were still missing after the attack.
US President speaking via video message Donald Trump He said America would “take revenge” for the soldiers’ deaths and that “more will probably be killed” before the conflict ends.
The president made the comments in a nearly six-minute video posted to social media Sunday afternoon.
He called the three service members “true American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation even while pursuing the righteous duty for which they gave their lives.”
