After Qatar, UAE, Iran Targets Saudi Arabia's Oil Giant In Aerial Strike As West Asia War Rages

Last Updated:March 19, 2026, 14:17 IST

The SAMREF refinery, operated as a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil, was hit in an aerial strike following similar attacks on facilities in Qatar and the UAE.

A drone crashed near a key oil refinery at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, as Iran expanded its retaliatory campaign against energy infrastructure across the Gulf amid an intensifying war in West Asia.

According to a report by Reuters, the SAMREF refinery, operated as a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil, was hit in an aerial strike following similar attacks on facilities in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

An industry source said the impact on the refinery was limited, though reports indicated a fire had broken out at the site.

The strike came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued evacuation warnings for several oil and gas installations across Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, including the Yanbu facility.

Tehran’s actions are widely seen as retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s energy assets, including the South Pars gas field.

The latest attack has heightened concerns over global energy supplies, as Yanbu has emerged as one of the two critical export routes for Gulf crude after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of hostilities late last month.

The strait typically carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments.

The second major export hub, the UAE’s port of Fujairah, has also come under repeated attacks in recent days, forcing a suspension of operations. It was not immediately clear whether crude loadings had resumed there.

The broader Gulf region, including Iran and Iraq, accounts for nearly a third of global oil production and a significant share of gas output.

With Hormuz effectively under Iranian control and multiple export terminals disrupted, analysts warn that supply constraints are deepening into a wider energy crisis.

Iran’s escalation followed Israeli strikes on the offshore South Pars gas field, shared by Iran and Qatar, marking a sharp expansion of the conflict.

On Wednesday, QatarEnergy said Iranian missile attacks on the Ras Laffan industrial complex, home to the country’s main LNG processing facilities, had caused extensive damage.

Saudi authorities also said they intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh, while the UAE confirmed it had halted operations at its Habshan gas facility after intercepting a drone, underscoring the growing reach of the conflict across the Gulf’s energy heartland.

News world After Qatar, UAE, Iran Targets Saudi Arabia's Oil Giant In Aerial Strike As West Asia War Rages

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