Iranian Drone Hits Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura Refinery: Reports
ISTANBUL, March 2 (Bernama-Anadolu/Ina) -- An Iranian drone strike targeted Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura oil refining facility on Monday, igniting a fire outbreak, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing media reports.
The incident was also seen in widely circulated social media footage.
Ras Tanura, situated on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast along the Persian Gulf, serves as one of the kingdom's primary oil refining and export hubs.
Separately, Iraqi News Agency (INA) citing Reuters and Bloomberg reported Aramco shut down the oil refinery following the drone strike.
The reports of the closure sent Brent crude oil prices skyrocketing by 9.32 per cent.
According to the Reuters report quoting an official, the Ras Tanura refinery of Aramco was shut as a precautionary measure. The situation was under control, the official said.
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran retaliated with a series of drone and missile attacks that targeted Israel, US assets, and several Gulf countries.
Iran retaliated by targeting Israel, as well as designated sites in several regional countries hosting US bases, notably Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
So far, Iranian strikes have hit Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Inside Iran, the Iranian Red Crescent reported that at least 201 people have been killed and 747 injured in US-Israeli attacks since Saturday.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU/INA