The Ras Tanura Refinery, one of Saudi Arabia's largest and most critical oil facilities, has been temporarily shut down following a drone strike attributed to Iran.
Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, halted operations at the Ras Tanura complex on March 2, 2026, as a precautionary measure after the attack, according to industry sources and reports from Reuters and other outlets.
The refinery, located on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, has a processing capacity of approximately 550,000 barrels per day and also serves as the kingdom's primary oil export terminal. It handles a significant portion of crude flows, with estimates indicating that nearly 7% of global oil supply passes through the broader site under normal conditions.
Reports indicate a limited fire broke out in the refinery's processing area following the drone incident, but Saudi authorities stated the blaze was quickly contained. No casualties have been reported, and the situation is described as under control.
Saudi state media and officials emphasized that the shutdown affected only certain units, with no disruption to local supplies of petroleum products and derivatives.
The strike is part of a broader escalation in the Middle East conflict, coming amid retaliatory actions by Iran following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, including the reported killing of Iran's Supreme Leader.
This has led to widespread disruptions in regional energy infrastructure, halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz (a chokepoint for about one-fifth of global oil), and surging oil prices.
While the original report from Iranian-affiliated or regional sources framed the event with emphasis on Iran's involvement, international coverage from Reuters, Bloomberg, AP, and others confirms the shutdown occurred after a drone attack in the area, with defenses intercepting incoming threats in some accounts, leading to debris impacts.
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