Saudi Arabia said Thursday that recent attacks by Iran on its energy infrastructure have killed one person and significantly disrupted oil production and processing operations, reports AFP.
An official from the Saudi energy ministry told the Saudi Press Agency that the strikes targeted critical infrastructure, including oil and gas production sites, transport networks, refineries, petrochemical plants and power facilities across Riyadh, the Eastern Province and the industrial city of Yanbu.
The attacks left one Saudi national dead and injured seven others, while also disrupting operations at several key facilities, the official said.
The latest fatality brings the total number of deaths in the kingdom to three since the conflict began following joint Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28 — an escalation that has since drawn much of the Middle East into a broader confrontation.
Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and Gulf countries it accuses of supporting U.S. operations.
Saudi officials said one of the pumping stations along the critical Petroline was hit, reducing its capacity by about 700,000 barrels per day.
The Petroline, a 750-mile pipeline linking the Gulf to the Red Sea, has become a vital artery for global oil flows during the conflict. With Iran disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s crude once passed — Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on the pipeline to maintain exports.
The network is capable of transporting up to 7 million barrels of crude per day, making it central to stabilising supply to international markets.
Additional damage was reported at the Manifa and Khurais oil fields, cutting production capacity by an estimated 600,000 barrels per day. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, typically produces just over 10 million barrels per day.
Refineries in Jubail, Ras Tanura, Yanbu and Riyadh were also targeted, directly affecting the kingdom’s exports of refined petroleum products, the official added. Gas processing facilities were among the sites hit, further compounding the disruption.
The attacks underscore the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure as the regional conflict deepens, raising concerns about prolonged instability in global oil markets.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
