Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura export hub struck again as tensions rise in Gulf region

Saudi Arabia’s key oil export hub at Ras Tanura, operated by Saudi Aramco, has once again been struck by an unidentified projectile, two sources told Reuters, heightening fresh concerns about the security of global energy supplies amid escalating tensions in the region.

The facility, run by Saudi Aramco, is among the world’s largest oil export terminals and processes a significant portion of the kingdom’s crude shipments. There was no immediate official statement outlining the extent of damage or confirming whether operations at the complex had been disrupted.

A source also told Reuters that the facility had been shut on Monday following a drone attack.

The latest strike comes only days after an earlier attack on the Ras Tanura complex, which authorities had said was intercepted or caused limited damage. That earlier incident had already unsettled energy markets, given Ras Tanura’s strategic importance and its proximity to vital shipping lanes in the Gulf.

The renewed strike highlights growing risks to energy infrastructure in the region as hostilities escalate amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. Ras Tanura lies close to key maritime routes connected to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of the world’s oil supplies is transported.

On March 2, Saudi Aramco shut its Ras Tanura refinery following drone attacks from Iran, marking a sharp escalation on the third day of strikes launched by Tehran in response to the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

The state oil giant halted operations at the Saudi Aramco-owned Ras Tanura refinery after the facility was struck by a drone on Monday. The complex, located on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, is one of the Middle East’s largest refineries, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day (bpd), and serves as a critical export terminal for Saudi crude.

Ras Tanura handles a substantial share of the kingdom’s oil exports, with shipments typically heading to major markets across Europe and Asia, including China, Japan and South Korea.