Houthis claim attack on Saudi oil refinery, blasts shake Riyadh
Saudi Arabia, West Asia's largest economy, has suffered weeks of strikes from the Iran-backed Houthis against oil and civilian sites including Riyadh's international airport
- ✓Saudi Arabia, West Asia's largest economy, has suffered weeks of strikes from the Iran-backed Houthis against oil and civilian sites including Riyadh's international airport
- ✓Maritime security agency Vanguard said a fire was reported in the Ras Tanura area in the early hours of Tuesday (October 27, 2026) after an attack.
- ✓The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day.
- ✓Egypt's Parliament authorised the measure on Monday (October 26, 2026), following a request from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Yemen's Houthis said they targeted Saudi Arabia's biggest oil refinery with a ballistic missile on Tuesday (October 27, 2026), as blasts shook the capital of the world's top crude exporter. Saudi Arabia, West Asia's largest economy, has suffered weeks of strikes from the Iran-backed Houthis against oil and civilian sites including Riyadh's international airport.
Houthis target refinery in southern Saudi Arabia: Media "The Yemeni Armed Forces were able to target the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province with a ballistic missile," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on X, saying the strike caused "massive fires".
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis earlier said it had shot down three missiles fired by the group towards the Eastern Province. A resident in the city of Al Khobar, south of the Ras Tanura complex, told AFP he heard explosions around dawn and received a text message alert.
In the crossfire: on India and the Saudi-Houthi conflict "We got the alert on the mobile and then heard a very loud bang," the resident said. Maritime security agency Vanguard said a fire was reported in the Ras Tanura area in the early hours of Tuesday (October 27, 2026) after an attack.
"The fire has reportedly been contained, while the extent of damage and any impact on oil-loading operations remain unclear at current," Vanguard said. The Ras Tanura facility along Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast is home to one of the largest refineries in West Asia and a cornerstone of the kingdom's energy sector.
The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. It has been repeatedly targeted by strikes blamed on Iran, including a drone attack in early March that forced a partial shutdown of the refinery. Meanwhile a series of explosions echoed across the capital, Riyadh, shaking office windows in the city centre.
A text message alert warned residents to seek shelter. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted two ballistic missiles that were fired at Riyadh. Earlier, a Houthi official said the Egyptian Parliament's decision to authorise defensive military support for Saudi Arabia amounted to a declaration of war.
Egypt's Parliament authorised the measure on Monday (October 26, 2026), following a request from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. "It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call 'peace in the region', Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen," said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, in a Telegram post.
It was not clear exactly what support was on offer from Egypt, which has the Arab world's largest military.
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| Issuing Authority | The Hindu World & Diplomacy |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | WORLD |
| Jurisdiction | All India / National |
| Publication Date | 27 October 2026 |