Multiple outlets reported on Monday that the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia had temporarily shut down after dramatic images surfaced of smoke billowing from the facility following an Iranian attack.
Bloomberg News and the Times of Israel both reported that sources close to the facility were shutting it down to assess the damage from what is believed to be an Iranian drone attack. Reuters published images that appeared to show workers at the refinery evacuating locals around the complex as part of the shutdown.
Saudi Arabia is one of at least nine countries targeted by the Iranian armed forces this weekend following the launch of “Operation Epic Fury,” a U.S. military plan to neutralize the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism’s ability to kill. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the operation had killed Iran’s elderly “supreme leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, effectively leaving the country leaderless.
Bloomberg News cited “people familiar with the matter” for its report that Ras Tanura, an asset of the state oil company Aramco capable of refining 550,000 barrels of oil a day, had shut down.
“Aramco shut the 550,000 barrel-per-day Ras Tanura plant, on Monday as a precaution while assessing damage,” Bloomberg shared. The report added that the Saudi government confirmed that a “limited” fire had erupted in the refinery.
The Times of Israel reported that the fire was caused by an Iranian drone strike, citing an anonymous “industry source” for the news that it shut down. The Saudi government separately confirmed that Ras Tanura had been hit by two Iranian drones.
Video footage out of Saudi Arabia showed a massive plume of smoke engulfing the facility, apparently filmed by a passing car.
Ras Tanura is one of the world’s largest oil refineries. Early reports indicated that the attacks had not yet resulted in any significant effects to global oil supply, or Saudi Arabia’s ability to offer its supply to buyers. This may change if the refinery is forced offline for a longer period, however. Concurrent Iranian attacks against critical fuel infrastructure in the Middle East has triggered alarm regarding the potential for a price hike or even shortages.
Elsewhere in the region, the government of Qatar was forced to halt its liquefied natural gas production on Monday in response to Iranian attacks. In Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the vast majority of oil production also paused on Monday, as Tehran bombed the regional capital, Erbil.
According to the Kurdish outlet Rudaw, Iranian drones targeted several critical sites in Erbil, including its international airport, a residential area in Bahirka, and the U.S. consulate in the capital city. Rudaw reported that not all of the attacks have been credited to the Iranian government, but rather to its local terrorist proxies in Iraq.
In a separate attack, Saudi Defense Ministry Spokesperson Turki al-Maliki confirmed on Monday that Iran had targeted the country’s Prince Sultan Air Base with five drones, but the government had intercepted them.
President Trump announced “Operation Epic Fury” on Saturday, explaining that he believed it necessary in the face of Iran’s illicit backing of terrorism and nuclear development.
“The United States military has undertaken a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests,” he declared. “We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”
Later that day, the American president announced the death of Khamenei, one of the world’s most virulently anti-American leaders. At press time, Iranian state media has reported that the remaining leadership in the country is still working on choosing a “supreme leader,” leaving unclear who is ultimately in charge of the top decisions by the regime currently.
Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Trump said that the U.S. government had identified several people who could potentially serve as interim successors to Khamenei to enact a transition out of the Islamist theocracy, but “Operation Epic Fury” killed them all.
“The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates,” ABC News’ Jonathan Karl claimed that the president told him. “It’s not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead.”
Trump had previously stated that at least 48 high-ranking Iranian regime leaders had been killed this weekend.
In response to the operation, Iran has bombed Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Oman, in addition to attempts to target Israel. Several of these countries signed a joint statement condemning the attacks on Sunday.
“The United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran’s indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks,” the statement read, “against sovereign territories across the region.”
“These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure,” it added, concluding, “The Islamic Republic’s actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability.”
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