JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An Iranian drone strike targeted Saudi Arabia’s Aramco Ras Tanoura oil refining facility on Monday, igniting a fire according to media reports. The incident was also seen in widely circulated social media footage.

In the wake of the incident, Saudi Arabia has halted operations at the refinery, situated on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast along the Persian Gulf, which serves as one of the kingdom’s primary oil refining and export hubs. The precautionary measure taken at the 550,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery could have significant ramifications for global oil prices.

All operations at ARAMCO Ras Tanoura refinery in Saudi Arabia have been suspended.

Workers fleeing from ARAMCO company. pic.twitter.com/XpdZqj866u

— SIRK0BAD (@SIRKOBAD) March 2, 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Aramco Ras Tanura oil refinery after Iranian strikes.

Ras Tanura is a critical node in global energy supply.
Even minor damage or temporary shutdowns can spike oil prices and insurance costs overnight.#IranWar #Israel #iran pic.twitter.com/45oCAK8zgs

— Who_Care (@yadav_sunny84) March 2, 2026

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with a series of drone and missile attacks that targeted Israel, US assets, and several Gulf countries.

Iran retaliated by targeting Israel, as well as designated sites in several regional countries hosting US bases, notably Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.

So far, Iranian strikes have hit Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.