Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil refinery

Summary

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday, October 27, that they had struck Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil refinery, the largest in the kingdom, on the Gulf west of the Strait of Hormuz. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree said a ballistic missile ignited a fire at the facility, according to Middle East Eye, but Saudi authorities have not confirmed the attack. Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Saudi Arabia had contained a fire near the Ras Tanura oil terminal earlier that day. Saudi Arabia sends almost all its oil exports through Ras Tanura and Yanbu, and the Houthis have previously attacked Yanbu. The Houthis have intensified strikes on Saudi territory since Riyadh hit Sanaa's international airport in July, which the reports link to the wider US-Israeli war on Iran. The reports rely on the Houthis' statement, and no independent confirmation of the attack or of any damage was reported.

Timeline

1. The Straits Times

   27 Oct 2026, 11:30 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports that Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday they had launched an attack on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil refinery, the biggest in the kingdom, and that a fire near the oil terminal there was reported earlier in the day.

2. Middle East Eye

   27 Oct 2026, 13:48 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that the Houthis said on Tuesday they struck Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery, the kingdom's largest, with a ballistic missile that ignited a fire, while Saudi authorities had not confirmed the attack and Bloomberg reported, citing a source, that Saudi Arabia had contained a fire near the Ras Tanura oil terminal.