Yemen’s Houthis Attack Saudi Refinery After Defense Pact With Turkey, Pakistan

A Houthi military spokesperson said the attack was in response to Saudi drones breaching their airspace.

Satellite imagery shows a trail of smoke rising from an oil facility in Jizan, Jazan province, Saudi Arabia, on July 26, 2026. European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-2/Reuters

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Aug. 9 said the group, designated as terrorists by the United States and some allies, attacked an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, just two days after Saudi Arabia signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the Iran-aligned group launched a drone attack on the Saudi Aramco refinery, claiming it was in response to Saudi drones breaching airspace over Yemen’s Saada and Hajjah provinces in the country’s northwest. Both are largely under Houthi control.

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said a fire broke out at a Saudi Aramco refinery facility in Jazan on Aug. 9, with no injuries reported. The ministry did not specify what caused the fire.

“The competent authorities are completing the necessary procedures to deal with the incident,” the ministry said in a post on X, without elaborating.

Saudi Arabia signed a defense agreement with Turkey and Pakistan on Aug. 7, which stipulates that an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three.

This news story will be updated with additional details.