Satellite images showed the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen bombing the same oil tank in the Saudi city of Jeddah that they targeted two years ago.
Satellite images published by the BBC Planet Labs and analyzed by the Associated Press on Tuesday show damage to the Jeddah North Distribution Station, located southeast of the city’s international airport, which is a vital hub for pilgrims heading to Mecca.
The oil tank – owned by the state-owned giant Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) – was hit by what the Houthis described as a cruise missile in the November 2020 attack.
Sunday’s attack renewed questions about the kingdom’s ability to defend itself against Houthi fire, in light of the continuation of the war that has been going on for years in the poorest country in the Arab world with no end in sight, according to the Associated Press.
It also comes as Saudi Arabia has issued a stark warning that it cannot ensure its oil production is not affected by further attacks – which could push global energy prices higher amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Saudi government officials and Aramco did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Sunday’s Houthi attack represented the most intense bombing in a war that has seen the kingdom launch punitive air strikes on Yemen and have drawn international criticism for killing civilians. Among the targets was a petrochemical complex in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast that Saudi officials said has slashed production at the world’s largest oil exporter.
The other target was the Jeddah North Distribution Station, which holds stocks of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel for use in the kingdom’s second largest city, about 285 kilometers southeast of Yanbu on the coast, and represents more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s total supply, as well as providing the fuel necessary to operate Regional desalination plant.
The Saudi authorities described earlier the attack as causing a “limited fire in one of the tanks that was brought under control without causing any casualties.”
The Houthis said they used a Quds 2 cruise missile in the attack.
BBC Planet Labs photos, taken on Monday, showed what is likely to be a white fire-retardant substance surrounding the tank, which appeared to be damaged on its south-facing side.