On Friday, Houthi militants in Yemen assaulted an oil station in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, ahead of a Formula One race. It was the rebels’ most high-profile attack yet, despite Saudi authorities’ assurances that the forthcoming Grand Prix would go on as planned.
The strike was on the same gasoline store that the Houthis had struck in recent days, the North Jiddah Bulk Plant, which is located just southeast of the city’s international airport and serves as a vital stopover for Muslim pilgrims on their way to Mecca. The attack resulted in no injuries.
Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Houthis launched a “hostile action” against the depot, according to Saudi officials.
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition in Yemen Fighting
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition in Yemen fighting the Houthis, who are backed by Iran who captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. The monarchy, which entered the conflict in 2015, has been chastised worldwide for airstrikes that have killed a large number of people, which the Houthis point to as they launch drones, missiles, and mortars into the kingdom.
The fire damaged two tanks and was put out without injuries, according to Brig Gen Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Mr. al-Malki remarked, “This hostile escalation targets oil facilities and tries to undermine energy security and the backbone of the global economy.” “These aggressive attacks had no impact or ramifications on public life in Jiddah in any way, shape, or form.”
On Twitter, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced the Houthi attacks. “These strikes endanger civilian life and must be stopped,” he stated.
Just after 5:40 p.m., an Associated Press photojournalist photographing practice laps at the F1 track in Jiddah noticed smoke rising in the distance to the east (local time). The tops of the bulk plant’s tanks could be seen from 11.5 kilometers away as the flames climbed.
Even while the fire burned, the drivers raced on into the twilight.
On Sunday, the second-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be held in Jiddah, despite recent attacks targeting the monarchy raising fears among some.
Hours later, the F1 announced that Saturday’s third practice and qualifying, as well as Sunday’s race, would go ahead as planned. The race’s promoter, Saudi Motorsport Co, recognized the attack but stated that the “race weekend schedule will proceed as planned.” ” The business stated it “remains in direct communication with Saudi security officials, as well as F1 and the FIA to ensure all required security and safety precautions.”
“Our first focus continues to be the safety and security of all our visitors.”
Later, the Houthi rebels’ al-Masirah satellite news channel said they had struck an Aramco plant in Jiddah, as well as other targets in Riyadh and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Saudi State TV confirmed that water tanks were targeted in one area, causing damage to vehicles and buildings. According to State TV, another strike targeted an electrical substation near the Yemeni border in southern Saudi Arabia.
The North Jiddah Bulk Plant is a storage facility for diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel used in Jiddah, the kingdom’s second-largest city. It provides roughly a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s supplies, as well as fuel for a regional desalination facility.
The Houthis have fired cruise missiles at the North Jiddah plant on two occasions. In November of 2020, there was an attack. The most recent occurred on Sunday as part of a larger Houthi offensive.
According to a recent study by a UN panel of experts investigating Yemen’s war, the targeted tank, which has a capacity of 500,000 barrels, was carrying diesel fuel at the time of the 2020 strike. It cost Aramco $1.5 million to repair it after the last attack.
The facility was described by UN experts as a “civilian target” that the Houthis should have avoided following the 2020 attack.
“While the facility also provides petroleum products to the Saudi military, it mostly serves civilian clients,” the panel stated. “The impact on the kingdom’s economy as well as the welfare of the citizens of the Western region would have been enormous if the plant had been out of service for an extended period.”
Although the US has delivered a large quantity of Patriot anti-missile interceptors to Saudi Arabia to resupply the country amid the Houthi attacks, cruise missiles and drones remain difficult to defend against.
The Associated Press reported in September that the United States had relocated its Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems from Prince Sultan Air Base west of Riyadh.
As a years-long war in the Arab world’s poorest country rages on with no end in sight, the attacks have raised new concerns about the kingdom’s ability to defend itself against Houthi fire. It also comes as Saudi Arabia made an unusually strong warning that it is unable to ensure that its oil production will not be harmed by future strikes, potentially driving up global energy prices amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. In Friday’s trading, benchmark Brent crude prices temporarily surpassed $120 per barrel.