Houthis Strike Saudi Refinery Amid Regional Tensions

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched an attack on Saudi Arabia's Jazan refinery, targeting the facility just two days after Riyadh signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan. The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, but it remains unclear whether either Pakistan or Turkey would join in any Saudi response to the latest attacks.

The Houthi forces declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last month, citing what they said was a Saudi siege on them. Riyadh denies this allegation. The attack on Jazan refinery has disrupted supplies to global markets, which have already been affected by Houthi strikes in the region.

The Saudi energy ministry confirmed that a fire had broken out at the refinery but was later extinguished with no injuries reported. Authorities are dealing with the incident without giving a cause. The Jazan refinery processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day in southwestern Saudi Arabia.