A fire broke out early on August 9, 2026, at Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery in southwestern Saudi Arabia after a drone strike claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, and was later extinguished without injuries, authorities said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The Houthis military spokesperson Yahya Saree said, “The Houthis targeted the refinery with a drone. They had struck Aramco sites before in Jazan and Yanbu” [6].
The Jazan refinery processes about 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily and produces refined products including petrol and ultra-light sulfur diesel [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. Aramco had shut down the refinery on July 27, 2026, following a previous Houthi attack that damaged the plant’s Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle complex and tank farm area [1, 5, 6].
Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said the recent attacks caused some production interruptions but had "no material operational or financial impact." He expressed confidence that operations could be restored quickly [1, 2, 5, 6].
The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in July 2026, citing a Saudi siege of Yemen, which Riyadh denies [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. They also launched missile and drone strikes on the Yemeni government-controlled port city of Mocha in the Red Sea region [2, 4].
In early August 2026, Saudi Arabia signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan to strengthen collective deterrence amid regional tensions following the US-Israeli war on Iran [2, 3, 4, 6]. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the alliance as "not directed against Iran or any other country, but rather served as a general pledge to support the three allies’ security" [6].
The latest fire at Jazan marks another attempt by the Houthis to target critical Saudi energy infrastructure. Aramco’s previous suspension of refinery operations since July 27 underscores ongoing risks to the plant and the flow of refined products.
Saudi Aramco and regional officials are assessing the damage and working to restore full production as soon as possible after the fire extinguishment on August 9.
