The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned, on Monday, of what it described as “severe effects” that may result from Iran’s continuing to provide the Houthi group in Yemen with ballistic missile technologies and advanced drones that target oil and gas production sites and their derivatives in the Kingdom.
The warning comes a day following a barrage of the most powerful missile strikes and drone attacks launched by the Houthis on vital energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, which led to a fire at one site and the temporary halt of oil production at another site.
Saudi Arabia confirmed, in a statement to an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published by the Saudi Press Agency, that it will not bear any responsibility for any shortage of oil supplies to global markets, in light of the attacks on its oil facilities from the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The official said, “The Kingdom stresses the importance of the international community being aware of the danger of Iran’s continuing to provide the terrorist Houthi militias with ballistic missile technologies and advanced unmanned aircraft, with which they target oil and gas production sites and their derivatives in the Kingdom.”
He added that this may have “disastrous effects on the production, processing and refining sectors, and on the Kingdom’s production capacity and fulfillment of its obligations, which undoubtedly threatens the security and stability of energy supplies to global markets.”
The source explained the importance of the international community assuming its responsibility in preserving energy supplies and standing firmly once morest the Houthis, as they pose a “direct threat to the security of petroleum supplies in these extremely sensitive circumstances in global energy markets.”
Sunday’s attack reduced the production of an oil refinery belonging to the Aramco police, according to an official in the Ministry of Energy, at a time when crude markets are experiencing tensions once morest the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement published by the state news agency, the official confirmed that drones attacked a petroleum products distribution station in the south of the kingdom, on Saturday evening, and a natural gas plant and an oil refinery in the west of the kingdom at dawn on Sunday.
And a report by the Wall Street Journal said, quoting US officials, that the administration of US President Joe Biden transferred a large number of the Patriot air defense system to Saudi Arabia last month, in response to the kingdom’s urgent request.
One of the officials indicated that the transfers sought to ensure that Saudi Arabia was provided with the defense system it needs sufficiently to repel the attacks of drones and missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.