Houthis Attack Saudi Aramco Refinery After Defense Pact

On Sunday, Yemen's Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, launched a drone attack on the Jazan refinery operated by Saudi Aramco. This incident occurred just two days after Saudi Arabia finalized a defense agreement with Turkey and Pakistan. Military spokesman Yahya Saree reported the drone strike, while the Saudi energy ministry acknowledged a fire that was quickly contained, noting no injuries but not disclosing the cause. This escalation follows increased regional tensions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The newly signed defense pact aims to bolster collective security among the three nations, stating that an assault on one would be treated as an assault on all. The Houthis had previously announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, alleging a Saudi siege, which Riyadh disputes. The Jazan refinery has a capacity of 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily. Additionally, Yemen's military reported that the Houthis executed missile and drone attacks on the Red Sea port city of Mocha.