Houthi Attack on Saudi Aramco Refinery Disrupts Jazan Output

On July 25, 2026, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched a coordinated attack on Saudi Aramco facilities in Jazan and Yanbu using ballistic missiles and drones. It marked the first direct Houthi strike on Saudi energy infrastructure in four years. In Jazan, the Saudi Aramco refinery (400,000 bpd) was taken offline. Repairs are expected to finish in mid-August, implying about three weeks of reduced refining capacity. Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the operation was a retaliatory response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen’s Hodeidah. Damage at the Saudi Aramco refinery was significant: hits reportedly struck the integrated gasification combined cycle complex and the tank farm, with roughly 10% of stored fuel affected. NASA satellite imagery reportedly corroborated the damage. At Yanbu, two missiles aimed at the export terminal were intercepted by Saudi air defenses, and no substantial disruption was reported. Saudi civil defense alerts were issued in affected areas. Market implications: taking the Saudi Aramco refinery offline could pressure regional supply chains for gasoline and diesel, especially for customers in East Africa and South Asia. The mixed outcome—interceptions at Yanbu but damage at Jazan—also raises questions about air-defense coverage against multi-vector attacks.