Categories: Global

Saudi says oil pipeline attacked by drones

RIYADH (AA): Armed drones carried out attacks on two oil installations in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said.

The attacks targeted two oil pump stations on the East-West pipeline, which carries Saudi oil from the eastern province to Yanbu port, he said in statements cited by the official SPA news agency.

He said the attacks have caused a fire in a pump station, which was eventually brought under control.

Earlier Tuesday, Al-Masirah television, the mouthpiece of Yemen’s Houthi group, said the rebels had carried out attacks on Saudi oil installations, without giving any details.

SPA said Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, stopped operation of the pipeline as a precautionary measure following the attacks.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia said two oil tankers were hit by a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one day after the UAE said four commercial ships had been targeted by sabotage attacks off the coast of the port city of Fujairah.

“The latest acts of terrorism and sabotage in the Arabian Gulf targeting vital facilities do not only target the Kingdom but also the security of oil supplies to the world and the global economy,” al-Falih said. “These attacks prove again that it is important for us to face terrorist entities, including the Houthi militias in Yemen that are backed by Iran,” he said.

Al-Falih, however, asserted that Saudi supplies and exports of crude oil and products were working normally without interruption.

The new developments come amid rising tension between the U.S. and Iran with Washington sending a Patriot missile battery and a Navy amphibious transport dock ship to the Middle East.

The U.S. administration re-imposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports in November after President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran, Washington and five other countries.

Last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would resume high-level enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels if Tehran’s interests in the nuclear deal are not protected within 60 days.

The Frontier Post

Recent Posts

Death toll from rains in southern Brazil climbs to 66, over 100 still missing

SAO PAULO (Reuters): The death toll from heavy rains that have inundated Brazil's southern state…

4 mins ago

UNRWA chief says again barred entry to Gaza by Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) : The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Sunday…

23 mins ago

Russian attacks on Kharkiv and region kill one, injure 17, officials say

KHARKIV, Ukraine (Reuters): Russian attacks on Orthodox Easter Sunday killed a woman buried under rubble…

40 mins ago

CM Sindh pledges to maintain peace in city

KARACHI (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has vowed to maintain peace in…

43 mins ago

Reneging on agreement inviting trouble to region

By repeatedly denying the existence of an agreement on managing the Ren'ai Reef issue with…

59 mins ago

Soliciting WHA for Taiwan exposes US duplicity

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on Wednesday saying the United States…

59 mins ago

This website uses cookies.